Retreat into Hell
by SarahHime
Summary: Minako takes the Three Lights to a retreat in the heart of the mountains, with plans to make them fall madly in love with her. Unfortunately things don't go quite the way she planned... ::Part 3A up!::
1. Day 0: Part 1A

Retreat into Hell  
By Sarah-chan  
Part 1A  
  
Notes: I've always wondered what happened with Minako as the Three  
Light's assistant. I mean, she had to be hired longer than just  
that one little part, right? Well, maybe not. BUT *I* say she's  
their assistant for at least a bit longer than one day. Two weeks  
at most.  
  
So, I've thought about it. And I'm doing it. A fan fic full of  
craziness, Hell, and insanely cute cream puffs.  
  
It takes place after episode 175. Usagi and Co. don't know  
the Three Lights are actually the Starlights yet.  
  
Oh. And I'm mixing the anime with the manga a little bit. Haruka  
and Michiru are now a part of Juuban Highschool. Paa.  
  
AND to add to more mayhem, let's say Minako's still their assistant  
after episode 180. Add that little twist of Haruka hating Seiya D  
  
Now for the little disclaimer: I did not create Sailor Moon.  
Naoko Takeuchi and other guys own it. But not me (dangit.  
Isn't this show one of those things you wished YOU had made up?) I  
just like to write stories in which I wreak havoc with their  
sanity. That's innocent, right?  
  
BUT! And there is a but! The retreat, Furui-sensei, Mariko, and   
San are owned by me, as well as the non-descript extras. You take   
'em, I'll know, my friends. I have tracking devices. And nuclear   
weapons made out of cheese. If you would like to use them, please  
ask me first.  
  
So kick back, relax, and have fun watching Seiya get his feet  
tickled with feathers.  
  
******  
  
Midnight cloaked the forest in a veil of black, hiding sharp  
branches poised and ready for uncovered flesh, but the two figures  
rushed past them and evaded their pathetic attacks, moving   
soundlessly to their destination.  
  
They seemed to move as one in the darkness, and any observer  
watching them in the night could have easily mistaken them for a   
creature of demonic imagining. Black silhouettes molded together by  
time, training, and bonds beyond the physical world, they would be  
intimidating even in the light.  
  
Finally, after shoulders tense with wary and anticipation,   
they reached a clearing with two huge statues facing each other.   
In the middle was the Crack.  
  
  
"It's opened farther today. They're planning something."  
  
"I have a really bad feeling about this."  
  
"Let's just get this over with. I'm creeping out."  
  
"Tell me about it."  
  
The taller of the two dropped a bag from an aching back, and  
unzipped it, bringing out two thick metal rods. After passing one   
to the shorter figure, they moved delicately to stand in front of   
each statue.  
  
Sliding bandaged hands over the rods, they felt for the   
etchings, and placed the bars on the ground, markings face up. The  
rods had to be exactly perpendicular to the Crack, and exactly   
parallel to each other and the statues. One degree off would waste  
a phenomenal amount of energy.  
  
Nocturnal vision had kicked in long before, but a feat such   
as this would be nearly impossible even at noon. All they had was a  
little luck and even less power.  
  
  
Reaching into their pockets, each person drew out two long  
nails, and carefully placed them into the small holes at the ends  
of the rods, balancing them at a 90-degree angle.  
  
The ones below them knew what they were doing, and the   
ground began to shake, and the Crack began to glow.  
  
  
  
"Damnit. We have to hurry," the taller one said, bringing   
two large and heavy mallets from space. The shift in darkness told  
the smaller figure had as well.  
  
"I'm ready, I'm ready."  
  
The nails had to be driven into the ground at exactly the  
same time, at exactly the same speed, with exactly the same power.  
There were no second tries. It had to be once.  
  
Ages ago, this had been a task for fourteen people in teams  
of two. Now there were only two alone, with not even half the power,  
skill or discipline than that of their ancestors.  
  
"On the count of three."  
  
"One."  
  
"Two."  
  
"Three."  
  
Their voices screamed into the night, powerful, sacred, and  
petrifying.  
  
"WITH THE POWER OF PERFECTION AND THE STRENGTH OF BALANCE I  
SEAL THIS CRACK IN WORLDS!"  
  
A quaking of red light burst out of the crack. It had to   
be now. With a deafening pound, they drove the nails into the hard  
earth, and the ones below them began to scream.  
  
Two pillars engulfed the statues, brightening the clearing,  
showing their terrifying faces to the fallen workers. Slowly, the   
crack began to seal. And then, it was silent. It was dark. It was  
calm.  
  
Heart beats pounded in their ears, trembling, they stood  
up and surveyed their job.  
  
To the naked eye, it was perfection. To the ones down   
below, it was victory.  
  
"Oh no," the shorter moaned.  
  
"It's all right."  
  
"No it's not. This is all my fault. We'll have to do it  
again. I knew I wasn't ready."  
  
"Don't say that. We did the best we could. We couldn't  
have done better."  
  
"That's what kills me. I can't believe it... two   
degrees off mark."  
  
"You did great. Let's go. This should hold them for a   
while, anyways."  
  
"It was supposed to hold them for another thousand years."  
  
"But it didn't. We'll come back when it opens up again."  
  
They were silent for a moment before the taller one placed   
a hand on the drooped shoulder of the other, and together, they   
walked back home.  
  
Miles away, a haunted boy awoke to his own scream, and   
cried himself back to sleep, desperately praying for his plague of  
nightmares to end, for the nightmare called his life to disappear,  
and to have a chance to finally tell the truth.  
  
******  
  
--Day 0--  
  
"Wow," gasped Makoto as the inner senshi watched Seiya,   
Taiki, and Yaten trudge into the classroom, dark bags under their   
eyes. The boys flopped into their seats, too tired to defend   
themselves from the onslaught of whispers of the students in   
the room.  
  
Usagi nudged Seiya with her elbow, just as his eyelids   
began to close. "What happened? Did a fan's boyfriend beat you   
up?"  
  
Seiya was too exhausted to say anything more than, "Long  
night. Kill me," before his head crashed into the desk and painful  
snores sounded through the room.  
  
"Too loud," winced Taiki. "I... I think I'm going to pass  
out." Which he did.  
  
"Where's Minako-chan?" asked Ami worriedly, as she rolled  
Taiki's head over to its side. She watched with scientific  
fascination as his smushed nose began to fill out again. "Class is  
about to start."  
  
"I'm here!" Minako cried as she bounced into the room   
happily, hair swinging side to side like a pendulum. Yaten groaned  
in agony as the empty seat next to him was now filled with hyper,   
bubbly optimism in the flesh. There went his time to actually rest.  
  
"Ne, Yaten-san. You can't sleep during school. You'll get  
into trouble."  
  
Why why why did Seiya and Taiki agree to make HER their  
assistant?  
  
*It'll show the public we love our fans, too,* Taiki said.  
  
*But we don't,* Yaten had replied.  
  
*How do YOU know?* asked Seiya.  
  
*Look. They don't know anything about us! We don't know  
anything about HER!*  
  
*She can't be THAT bad.*  
  
How wrong they were.  
  
"Shut up. I have thirty seconds," he growled and nested   
his head on a pillow of folded arms.  
  
"Come on, if you fall asleep now you'll never be able to   
wake up again."  
  
"Leave me alone."  
  
"But--"  
  
"I said LEAVE ME ALONE!"  
  
Minako blinked, then smiled, and patted him on the head.   
"It was a long day, yesterday, wasn't it?" she said, watching his   
eyes narrow with every touch to his hair. "You guys were great,   
though. I watched every second of it."  
  
"Touch not the hair, or feel my wrath."  
  
"Uh-oh. Looks like somebody's in a bad mood. Did   
Yateny-kun not get enough sleep last night?" She took her hand   
away, and finally, with a sweet sigh, Yaten closed his eyes,   
looking deceptively innocent.  
  
"BBBBBBBRRIIIIIINNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGG."  
  
"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!" screamed Yaten as he bolted from his  
desk, chair tipping back. Seiya woke up with a start, falling to  
the floor, and Ami was having a hard time keeping Taiki in his seat  
as his weight combined with gravity slid him in the direction of  
down. "I can't take it anymore! I just can't take it! THIS DAMN  
PLANET IS DRIVING ME INSANE!"  
  
A rush of voices filled the room as Yaten began kicking and  
punching the air, venting out his frustration, and shouted in fury  
as the tie to his hair came loose, the fan behind him wrapping the  
silver strands around him and into tangles, and kids backed away as  
a demonic glint in his eyes began to glint even brighter.  
  
Seiya bit back a sob and wept into his hands. Ever  
compassionate Usagi knelt down beside him, rubbing her hand along  
his back to sooth him, and once he stopped crying, she took it  
away. Seiya began to cry again. Makoto watched from a distance at  
all the chaos, sighed, and wished she were Ami right then, sprawled  
beneath the dead weight of Taiki.  
  
A beeper went off. Somebody's cell-phone rang. A   
Tamagachi bird died, and its owner mourned, his friends rushing to   
comfort him. A real bird nearly got sucked into the fan's blades,   
but a girl turned it off before it could do any real damage. Lunch   
bags appeared on desks, along with manga, romance novels, a small   
and discrete bottle of sake, and a couple Gameboys. Paper   
airplanes soared. Spitballs flew. A CD player's volume was turned   
up enough for everybody to compliment on Gackt's new album, and   
tubes of lipstick were whisked out for one last splash of color.  
  
Hey, if Yaten could break the rules, then anybody could.  
  
"Ne... Yaten-san. Stop it. You're setting a bad example   
to the children."  
  
"And YOU." Yaten swiveled around to face Minako, and   
jabbed a finger in her direction. Minako started to become dizzy   
trying to keep her focus on his face. "Don't get me started on--"  
  
"WHAT IS GOING ON?!"  
  
Gackt fell silent. The screams and laughter stopped. The  
only sound heard was the simultaneous turn of heads and gasps as  
the first period teacher stared at the destruction of the   
classroom.  
  
Seiya stopped crying, looked to Usagi, and both scrambled   
to their seats.  
  
Taiki finally regained consciousness, and helped the   
bruised Ami to sit on her bruised butt, murmuring apologies as he   
touched a bruise on her arm, and a bruise on her neck, and another  
bruise right below her armpit. Ami closed a bruised eye a   
whimpered a bruised whimper, leaving Taiki's soul bruised and   
adding another bruise to his guilt.  
  
"Taiki Kou, take Miss Mizuno to the nurse's office  
immediately."  
  
Ami blanched a bruised blanche, and Taiki, horrified,   
helped her out of her seat, and after several bruising moans from  
her bruised mouth, he picked her up and carried her out of the   
room in his arms. Makoto REALLY wished she had been Ami at that   
moment.  
  
"Yaten Kou. Take a seat and fix your hair."  
  
"No."  
  
A collective gasp sounded the room.  
  
*What the hell do you think you're doing?* thought Seiya as   
he grimaced at Yaten's disobedience. This was not good. Not good  
at all.  
  
"I assume you didn't understand what I asked of you."  
  
"Oh, I heard you just fine."  
  
"Then I suggest you sit down."  
  
"No."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"No."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Look, you're testing my patience, and when I get angry   
it's not pretty."  
  
The teacher rose an eyebrow. "Really, now?" he said wryly.  
  
"Mm-hmm. So I'll stand, thank you. And I'm liking my hair  
the way it is, right now, so I would prefer it if you wouldn't   
order me around."  
  
Seiya began to choke, and Usagi pounded her hands on his   
back a little to enthusiastically, ramming him into the ground.   
The teacher paid them no mind.  
  
"All right," he said, a cocky smile forming at his lips.   
"You can stand..."  
  
Yaten smiled, and the teacher's face darkened. "... In the  
hall. With two buckets of water."  
  
Yaten's eyes widened, and he sputtered, "Y-you can't do   
that!"  
  
"Ohoho, but I can, Mr. Kou," he replied and pointed to the  
door. "I don't care if you're some fancy famous teen idol. I've  
seen them come and go all my life. You're all the same with your  
puffed up egos. Now get out. And make sure not a drop of water is  
spilled, or you'll be out there for an extra hour."  
  
"How dare you--"  
  
"I wouldn't test MY patience if I were you."  
  
"Why you..."  
  
"NOW!"  
  
Yaten burned bright red, and his hair caught on fire.  
Minako's eyes widened, and in a small attempt to stop him from  
damaging his image even more, she started to tug on his jacket, but  
he brushed her hand away.  
  
She turned to look at Seiya desperately who was just as  
shocked as she was. But not shocked enough to not see what would  
happen.  
  
"Are you leaving, or do I have to call the principle?"  
  
"Do you really want to see my power?"  
  
"_I_ have the power here."  
  
"Don't be so sure about that." Yaten smiled evilly, and   
began to pull something out of his pocket. "...Healer Star Po--"  
  
"YATEN!!!" Shrieked Seiya, bolting from the floor, but   
Minako caught the teacher's attention before the leader of the   
Three Lights could.  
  
"Please!" she cried. "He's had a terrible week! Their  
manager's been running them to the ground and--"  
  
"Miss Aino, you may join him out in the hall."  
  
Minako stopped cold. "W-what?"  
  
"You heard me. Both of you, in the hall."  
  
Minako bit her lip and turned to Yaten. "Let's go."  
  
"Oh, no--"  
  
"Yaten-san. This is going to be in the papers tomorrow   
morning. Don't make it any worse. Don't ruin the Three Lights'   
reputation anymore than you already have."  
  
"Don't tell me what to do you purple spotted peacock--"  
  
Minako dragged him into the hall, clamping a hand over his  
mouth.  
  
"Wow," said Makoto, and Seiya began to bang his head   
against his desk, trying to end the pain. Unfortunately for him,  
he didn't hit hard enough.  
  
******  
  
Nezu was flipping through a magazine on hamster toys,   
dainty feet planted smack dab in the middle of her desk, when the   
phone rang.  
  
And time stopped.  
And Nezu began to sweat.  
And the phone rang.  
And time began.  
And Nezu continued to sweat.  
  
*To pick up, or not to pick up. Pick up. Not pick up.   
Eenie meenie mynie moe... oh, hell.*  
  
The phone rang for the third time, and her hand trembled as  
she lifted the receiver. "Th-third production room!"  
  
"Producer Nezu, the president is calling."  
  
"Y-yes." There was a click as the connection was made.   
"M-madame Galaxia! You wanted to speak with me?"  
  
"Have you found a true Star Seed yet, Sailor Iron Mouse?"  
  
"I-I was just finishing a search before you called."  
  
There was a slight pause. Nezu began to pray.  
  
"Do you have any leads?"  
  
"Oh! Um. Yes!" She sweeped her free hand across the   
mound of free papers, and finally found a crumpled up yellow flyer  
still sticky with Chinese take out.  
  
"Here's one right now! Mr. Furui, founder of the Celestial  
Retreat... 'Guaranteeing a lifting of the heart of any weary and  
distressed soul.' He looks..." She frowned at the picture of him.  
"...ripe."  
  
"Take care of it now."  
  
"Yes, Madame Galaxia!"  
  
She hung up the phone and stared at the picture. Poor,   
poor Mr. Furui. She wished she had found a more handsome man... a  
much younger man. But her brain had turned off.  
  
She sighed, grabbed her jacket, put on her hat and sun  
glasses, and walked out the door. A vacation. That's what she  
needed. She might even get some nice R & R on this mission before  
she returned the Star Seed to Galaxia. She didn't want to think  
about all the years shaved off her life just from getting this job.  
  
Live the day as if it was your last. Which was exactly   
what Nezu tried to do. Because in her case, it was more likely   
that each day would be her last alive. And sometimes, she thought  
as she walked to the train station, she wished it was.  
  
******  
  
"Yaten-san. You're eye is twitching." Minako scooted a  
couple steps away from him, careful not to spill the buckets in her  
hands. Yaten's head gave a little jerk, and Minako squealed.  
  
"I'll show him he's not the boss of me I'm my own woman   
nobody knows who I am only me only me my hair's fine just fine oh   
yes oh no I don't have an ego trip not an ego trip nope nope   
nope--"  
  
"YATEN!" she screamed and dumped a bucket of water over his  
head.  
  
Yaten came back to reality, sputtering, sopping wet,   
gagging on water and hair. Minako pounded his back, and finally,   
when all the water was out of his lungs he turned to her, scraping   
all his hair out of his face and gasped, "T-thank you" before   
crashing down onto the floor.  
  
They needed a vacation. Bad.  
  
And Minako had just the vacation they needed once she   
unfolded a yellow paper airplane near her feet, "Celestial Retreat"   
written in big bold letters at the top of the page.  
  
*Oh yes*, she thought as she read the description.   
*Perfect. Deep in the heart of the mountains, very secluded, and   
VERY romantic. This will be just the thing to get the Three Lights  
to fall desperately in love with me.*  
  
Minako began to giggle, and the door opened wide. The   
teacher stared in horror at the blond as she doubled over laughing,  
falling on top of the unconscious and wet Light.  
  
Why did he EVER want to be a teacher? He was beginning to  
forget more and more.  
  
******  
  
"A vacation?" guffawed Seiya. Minako nodded, holding onto  
her hair as the wind whipped past her and the Three Lights. The   
three boys let their tied hair fly with the gusts for dramatics   
sake.  
  
She couldn't say the roof was the best place to talk to   
them, but with all her fellow crazed fans there wasn't much room   
for attention.  
  
"What are you talking about?" asked the now spic and span   
and sane Yaten. "Our schedule's tied up for the next two weeks.   
You know that."  
  
"I talked to your manager, and he said it was okay."  
  
"W-what?" gasped Taiki. "He actually AGREED to do this?  
Surely you must have talked to the wrong man."  
  
"Hey, there were bottles of vodka collecting dust in the  
cabinet at home. I even had him sign an agreement."  
  
"And when did you have time to make reservations, get the  
tickets, and still be in school the entire time?"  
  
"Never doubt the powers of Aino Minako!"  
  
Seiya sighed happily. "This is good, you guys. This is  
really good. We haven't had a time to relax since... well..."  
  
"Since before we started the band," finished Taiki. The  
two boys exchanged relieved glances, and smiled to Minako.  
  
"Well, maybe we don't WANT to relax." They turned to stare  
at the scowling Yaten. "Did you ever think about that? We're too  
booked up to have fun."  
  
"Awe, come on!" cried Seiya.  
  
"I concur!"  
  
"No. Have you two forgotten why we're here in the first  
place?"  
  
"Of course we haven't--"  
  
"Then all the more reason to keep on going."  
  
"What about this morning?" asked Seiya. "How about that,  
huh?"  
  
"You're over working yourself," agreed Minako. "Anymore  
scenes like that, and the Three Lights will be in an asylum."  
  
"And what would you know about that?" accosted Yaten.   
"You've never been an idol. You don't know what it takes. If   
we're not out there in front of people's faces 24/7--"  
  
"I may not know what it's like to be an idol!" she cried.  
"But I know a cry for help when I see it!"  
  
There was silence on the roof, and Minako let her hair join  
in the dance of the wind.  
  
"I'm your guys' assistant, right? It's my duty to take   
care of you--"  
  
"You know NOTHING of duty!" cried Yaten.  
  
"Yaten-kun," said Seiya, laying a hand on his shoulder. "I   
think it's time to stop attacking her. She's right. We need a   
break. We've been working to hard. We're going to burn out   
someday, but let's not make it sooner than we need."  
  
"I will never burn out," he hissed. "If you guys decide   
to, that's fine. But I'll make sure she has a light to see. It's  
my duty."  
  
Yaten walked away, slamming the metal door on his way in.  
  
"Don't let him get to you," Taiki said after Minako lowered  
her head. "He's usually not that cruel."  
  
"Hey, Taiki-kun. Don't lie to her." Seiya turned to her.  
"He's that way to all of us. It's just his nature."  
  
"He can be nice sometimes," she said quietly.  
  
"Only to cats," Seiya scoffed. "They fit him perfectly."  
  
"Don't insult them," pouted Minako.  
  
"So we're taking a vacation." Taiki rolled the word on his  
tongue, savoring it. "How long do we have? A day?"  
  
"Try four days and three nights," she said, and whipped out  
some tickets. "Pack your bags, dears! We're leaving at 5:00!"  
  
She evaded their attempts to grab the tickets, skipped to  
the door, and hopped out of sight.  
  
"Did she just say 'we'?" asked Seiya.  
  
"She was holding up four tickets."  
  
They paled, and Seiya grimaced. "I knew this was too good  
to be true."  
  
Haruka and Michiru watched the last of the Three Lights go  
back down the stairs, and came out from behind the corner.  
  
******  
  
Ah, lunch. The one time Usagi felt truly comfortable at  
school. Laughter buzzing through the air, quiet contentment and...  
PASTRIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HER ONE TRUE LOVE...   
well, besides Mamo-chan, of course... right? Of course!  
  
"You'll choke if you eat that fast."  
  
"Rei-chan!" cried Usagi, nearly flinging her bun in the  
air. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at  
school?"  
  
Rei shrugged and popped a plum that Makoto had handed over to  
her in her mouth. "It's lunch hour. And anyways..." She lowered  
her body, bringing the other girls with her. "Something fishy is  
going on around here."  
  
"What do you mean?" Minako asked, pressing her cheek   
against Rei's, causing the out of placed girl to squeal.  
  
"M-Minako-chan! I didn't hear you!" and Rei sat straight   
up. The other inner senshi looked at each other, and shrugged,   
ears prepared to take in all.  
  
"Ne... Rei-chan," said Minako and rested her chin between  
thumb and forefinger. "You look awfully guilty about something."  
  
"Guilty? Me? Hmph. Really, Minako-chan." But the flush  
on her cheeks betrayed her. Minako peered closely at her friend   
who met her eye to eye.  
  
"And by the way you jumped when I joined you guys... were   
you talking about me?"  
  
"Well, um..."  
  
"No," said Makoto, and moved over to stand next to Minako.  
"But I think were GOING to."  
  
"We were?" asked Usagi. "What about? Did you sneak into  
Rei-chan's school again, Minako-chan?"  
  
"Minako!" cried Ami. "How could you! Do you know how much  
trouble you could get into? So that's why you weren't in school   
for that test last week."  
  
"Hey," said Minako. "Should I tell everybody how you  
pretended to be sick the other day so you could get into the  
hospital where Taiki-san was taking care of patients?"  
  
Ami turned beat red, and her friends honed in on her as if  
she was fresh meat and they hadn't eaten in days.  
  
"Ami-chan!" gasped Makoto. "I didn't know you had it in   
you!"  
  
"What happened?" asked Usagi. "Did he take your  
temperature...?"  
  
"...With his lips?" They all stared at Rei. "I heard it   
was the best thing to use if you don't have a thermometer."  
  
"Well... um..." Blushing furiously, she pulled out a white  
wash cloth. "He was doing it for community service" ("Publicity,"  
whispered Minako into Rei's ear.) "... and I WAS getting a small  
temperature... it wasn't so far away from my house."  
  
"Try the other side of Juuban," said Minako, and a   
scandalous gasp omitted from the other inner senshi. Ami turned a   
deeper shade of red.  
  
"So what's the wash cloth for?" asked Makoto.  
  
"He... he cooled my fever down with it..."  
  
"You even stole from the hospital!" cried Usagi.  
  
Minako and Makoto beamed. "Our little girl is growing up!"  
  
"Please, minna! Stop it!" Ami hid behind her lunch box.  
  
"What's this?" came a quiet voice behind her, and Ami   
watched with horror as the white cloth was lifted from the table   
and above her head. By the look of the other girls' faces, she   
knew who it was.  
  
"This is Juuban Hospital's isn't it?" asked Taiki.  
  
"O-of course not!" she cried and snatched it from his   
hands, burying her face in embarrassment. The other girls   
sweat dropped.  
  
"She just likes wash cloths," said Makoto.  
  
"Certain kinds," elaborated Minako.  
  
"Specifically ones touched by Taiki-san!"  
  
"Usagi!"  
  
Ami melted into the floor, and Taiki blinked. Saving the   
poor girl from complete desolation, Seiya decided to change the   
subject.  
  
"So, Odango. Are you going to finish that pastry?"  
  
Usagi answered by stuffing the entire bun in her mouth in   
defiance, and gathering the rest of her food into her arms. Seiya   
chuckled, Taiki pondered over the white wash cloth, and Rei narrowed  
her eyes when she saw the sly look on Minako's face.  
  
"Where's Yaten-san?" asked Makoto.  
  
"Probably sulking in a dark corner," said Seiya.  
  
"He doesn't want to admit we need to have time to ourselves  
sometimes."  
  
"Well, he's going anyway."  
  
"Going where?" asked Usagi.  
  
Seiya began to open his mouth, when Minako clamped a hand  
over it and smiled. "Nowhere, nowhere! Just to the gig they have  
lined up next week."  
  
Seiya rose an eyebrow and muffled something beneath her   
hand. Minako lowered her head and hissed, "If the others find out,   
you'll have no time to yourself. ESPECIALLY with Usagi-chan   
around. She's fun, but high maintenance."  
  
But, but... he could handle high maintenance while kicking   
back in the sun, couldn't he?  
  
Seiya stared desperately at his Odango, and then back to   
the intense Minako, and back to Odango, his eyes drifting to   
Makoto's bento box along the way. He looked back to Minako again,   
and finally sighed, defeated, nodding his head in agreement.  
  
"You're doing the right thing," whispered Minako. By the  
smile on her lips though, Seiya doubted it.  
  
"What are you whispering about?!" cried Usagi. "It's not  
nice to keep secrets!"  
  
"Yeah, Minako-chan," agreed Makoto.  
  
"It's nothing!" she cried, and crossed her arms   
defensively, ending all tries to pry the truth out of her.  
  
She and Rei locked eyes, bolts of electricity crossing in   
the space between them. Something was definitely up with that   
girl, and Rei would be damned if she didn't find out what it was.  
  
******  
  
The phone rang.  
  
And time stopped.  
  
Until Minako picked up the receiver.  
  
"Moshi-moshi?" she chirped.  
  
"Aino-kun."  
  
"Seiya-san!"  
  
"Are you all packed?"  
  
"Yup. Just finished."  
  
"Did you want us to pick you up, or were you going to meet  
us at the train station?"  
  
*Minako-sama! How beautiful you look! Let me carry you to  
our chariot! Such delicate feet should not touch the filthy   
ground.*  
  
*Oh, Seiya-san, how sweet!*  
  
*My princess, let ME carry you.*  
  
*Nay, my dear Taiki, I asked first.*  
  
*Fair Seiya, _I_ was more romantic.*  
  
*How dare you--*  
  
*Oh, Yaten-san! I didn't know you were so strong!*  
  
*Damnation! He beat us to her!*  
  
*My lady, not only am I strong, I have great endurance as  
well.*  
  
"Mina-chan!" cried Artemis, bringing Minako back into  
reality. "You're getting a nose bleed!"  
  
"Definitely pick me up," said Minako.  
  
"What time?"  
  
"The train leaves at 5:00, baka." Minako heard the grumpy  
Yaten in the distance. "We'd be going out of our way if we picked  
her up. She might as well join us at the station."  
  
*Eek! Yaten-san, you dropped me!*  
  
*I just realized I don't have a romantic bone in my body.*  
  
"I agree." Taiki's voice wafted into her ears. "It would   
draw too much attention, anyways."  
  
"Is that all right?" Seiya asked, hearing Minako's sigh.  
  
Damn. "Sure!"  
  
"Great. See you then. Ja."  
  
"Bye bye."  
  
She delicately hung up the phone, and kicked the bed post  
in frustration, startling Artemis from his resting place on a   
Sailor V pillow. He walked towards her and watched as she sat on   
her suit case and tried to close in the gap enough to lock it tight,  
only to have her hair get caught in between.  
  
"I swear someday I'm going to cut it to Haruka-san's length,"  
she muttered, and popped the lock, sweeping the golden strands from  
the jaws of the suitcase.  
  
"Since when does Seiya-san talk to you on the phone?"  
  
"Well, why shouldn't he?"  
  
"And picking you up? What's that about? Mina-chan, you   
still haven't told me why you're packing."  
  
"That reminds me!" Minako picked up the phone, dialed a   
number and grinned when her call got connected.  
  
"Crown Arcade."  
  
"Motoki-kun!"  
  
"Minako-chan! Hey, I hear you've been hanging around the  
Three Lights lately."  
  
"Yeah, I'm sorry I haven't dropped by in a while."  
  
"Well, the place sure is empty without you."  
  
She blushed. "Um... well, speaking of places, I'm going to  
be gone for a few days with the Three Lights."  
  
"What?!" cried Artemis.  
  
"Really?" said Motoki. "The girls must be going nuts."  
  
"The thing is... I haven't told the others yet. And you  
know how Artemis can get a message across."  
  
"I'm going to tell Usagi-chan right now," said Artemis, but  
yowled when Minako grabbed a hold of his tail, dragging him into   
her trusty basket. She closed the lid and began wrapping it with   
duct tape.  
  
"Do I ever," replied Motoki.  
  
"So I was wondering if you could take care of Artemis for   
about four days? I'll only be missing a little school, and Artemis  
loves staying at the Crown."  
  
"Sure, that's fine. I still have a place set up for him."  
  
"Thanks, Motoki-kun."  
  
"No problem."  
  
"And... Motoki-kun?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Promise not to tell the others if they come by? If... if   
they find out where I am, I'll never be able to fulfill my dreams!"  
  
There was a pause, and she could hear her friend inhale.  
  
"Well... you're not telling me exactly where you're going  
to begin with."  
  
"I know. Thanks for doing this."  
  
"Are... are you going to be doing something I should know  
about while you're there? I mean, you ARE going to be with three  
guys without adult supervision, right?"  
  
"It's not like that!" she cried. "It's purely innocent."  
  
"If I know you, Minako-chan," he said. "Nothing with you  
is ever purely innocent. Take care. I'll see you when you drop   
Artemis by."  
  
"So THIS is what you've been hiding from me!" wailed   
Artemis. "Mina-chan! Let me out!"  
  
She picked up the basket, and pried the lid open enough to   
stare painfully at his huge eyes. "I'm so sorry, Artemis. I can't  
tell you. I'll make it up to you later, I promise."  
  
This was beyond humiliating, she realized as a small white  
paw poked through, batting at her fingers despairingly. Her heart  
beat faster as she thought of all the ways bringing an over bearing  
guardian cat with her would limit her chances of getting closer to  
Three Lights.  
  
"If you loved me, you would let me out."  
  
"I know you! You'd follow me and tell the others."  
  
"It's only because I'm worried! You're the leader of the  
senshi. It's your duty to protect the princess--"  
  
"And how can I when these new enemies can stop my attacks   
just by BLINKING?"   
  
"You just need to train more--"  
  
She shook her head violently. "There's something wrong   
with me. Maybe it's my fuku... the Sailor Starlights look tough,   
right? Maybe it's all in the image and I need a new outfit."  
  
"Don't say that! Mina-chan, I love you--"  
  
"I love you too, Artemis. Just please, don't ask me to   
tell you where I'm going. Not this time. I NEED to do this...   
This isn't just for the Three Lights. This is for ME. I just need  
to get away from everything here. There's something that I'm   
missing... I have a feeling that once I get there, I'll find all my  
answers."  
  
She touched his paw, and Artemis observed her carefully.   
"Hey, I'll have Motoki call Usagi-chan, and you can stay with Luna.  
How about that? It's not like you'd be telling her anything the  
others won't know soon enough."  
  
Artemis smiled sadly. "It's the least you can do."  
  
******  
  
END PART 1A  
  
****** 


	2. Day 0: Part 1B

Retreat into Hell  
By Sarah-chan  
Part 1B  
  
Note: I have a couple "dirty" jokes in here... Nobody will be out   
of character during that time, though! So you'll identify with at   
least one of the characters.  
  
But if you're so offended by it that would send me nasty e-mails,   
please read no further. I like to argue, and I'm trying to break   
the habit.  
  
I am not one to OVER do it though (unlike ten year old boys), so I  
promise you it'll be at a minimum... this is a PG-13 rated fic,   
though, so it will get a bit... riskay. MUAHAHA!!  
  
Ah yes. And I apologize for the mild profanity... but you should   
know Usagi herself has said "Damn!" in the anime! She has! I swear  
it! At least that was what the subtitles said!  
  
Enjoy!  
  
******  
  
"She's not here," murmured a voice through the swell of   
noise. All sound seemed to leave their ears as the other two honed  
in on those words, her face drifting into their vision, blurring   
away with unwilling tears.  
  
"We'll find her..."  
  
"... We promised..."  
  
"... We'll search for eternity..."  
  
"... I swear it."  
  
"Not HER, you idiots."  
  
"Oh, you meant Aino-kun, didn't you?"   
  
"We have five minutes before the train leaves."  
  
Taiki looked around the train station for any sign of yellow  
hair, checked the time, looked at Seiya and shook his head.  
  
"She has the tickets!" wailed the black haired bishounen,  
causing passerby to watch curiously as Taiki patted him on the   
head. Yaten rolled his eyes, and tried to look above the crowd.  
  
He wasn't happy about this. Not happy at all. In fact,  
he was aggravated to the point of being angry. Wait. NOW he was  
angry. How dare that girl stand up Yaten Kou!  
  
*What am I thinking?* He winced. *Bad Yaten. Your   
vocabulary is large enough to refrain from using words so   
phenomenally frequent they are put into context in which a female   
does not enter the proximity of a man who she had earlier made an   
agreement to meet.*  
  
*What am I thinking?* He winced again. *I am NOT a Taiki.  
How dare that girl stand up Yaten Kou!*  
  
"Maybe we SHOULD have picked her up," said Seiya.  
  
"Maybe we should have actually been FAST enough to grab   
those tickets before she ran away. Hmph. And we're supposed to be  
all powerful."  
  
"She was slippery!"  
  
"I do NOT want to hear about that," cried Yaten and plugged  
his ears. "Too late! It's already in my mind."  
  
Seiya and Taiki looked at him a moment before paling, then  
gagging. "Oh thanks, Yaten. Really. Now I'll be haunted by that  
image for the rest of my life."  
  
"Egads, will you just be quiet?! I don't want to be   
afflicted with such a picture!"  
  
"Therapy image! Therapy image!" called Seiya.  
  
"Hey, you guys!" a voice called out, popping the serene   
bubble they had created. The noise returned.   
  
She was racing down the walkway, shoving people younger   
than her out of her way, politely squeezing through the spaces   
between those older than her, and bowing and apologizing when she   
got in front of the elderly, all the while sloughing a large and  
heavy suitcase behind her.  
  
"You have to admit, though," said Seiya as they watched her  
move towards them. "She does have charisma."  
  
"But no charm," answered Yaten.  
  
"I'd like to know the name of the bottle of vodka she used on   
our manager," Taiki said. "It could be useful in the future."  
  
"IF we're here that long," said Yaten.  
  
"Right, right," Seiya assured, and watched as Minako finally  
got past the crowd (defense 1 down) smiled sweetly, and headed   
towards them. The Three Lights cringed as a young man pummeled into  
her, sending them both crashing to the ground, and popping the  
suit case open, sending all loose contents flying into the area.  
  
"Ouch," said Yaten.  
  
"That has to be embarrassing," answered Taiki.  
  
"What's embarrassing is being around you two," said Seiya,   
and began to walk to the fallen Minako, only to find she was doing  
just fine.  
  
"I-I'm sorry!" cried the man, and both he and Minako   
scrambled to gather the articles before impolite feet stormed over   
them. Finally, clothes gathered in arms, both of them dumped the  
contents back into the suitcase, and took a breath.  
  
When she got a look at him, though, he took her breath away.  
He was gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. She shook her head slightly,  
trying to get the pounding of her heart out of her ears.  
  
Long raven black hair tied back in a braid, intense eyes,   
and a sculpted body that just ached to be touched.  
  
"Really," he said, and helped her to stand. They both   
reached down, and her fingers covered his as they brought the   
suitcase from the ground. "I AM sorry."  
  
"That's all right." She smiled slightly, and fluttered her   
eyelashes. *Innocent!* her mind cried happily as his cheeks glowed  
a pretty shade of pink.  
  
"What's going on?" a feminine voice asked. Both turned to  
stare at a young woman, short hair, not as black as the young man's,  
but definitely a color you could gaze out for hours on end. She  
rose a delicate eyebrow, and crossed arms, sleek muscles rippling   
with barely controlled anger.  
  
"N-nuthin'!" he stammered, and stepped away from Minako.  
  
*Innocent...* Minako thought, her excitement disappearing  
with a poof of ill-luck. *... and taken.*  
  
"Do you two know each other?" the girl asked.   
  
"What are you talkin' about?" he said. "Of course not!"  
  
"Never seen him before in my life," Minako reassured.   
  
"I know what you're thinkin'!" he cried. "She's not another  
one, I swear it."  
  
"Really?" she said. The two women sized each other up for   
a moment. "I can believe it. She doesn't look conniving enough to  
be another fiancee."  
  
"Don't be too sure about that," said Seiya as he slipped in  
next to Minako. He took her suitcase from her. "Yaten and Taiki   
are inside the train already, getting seats. We'd better go."  
  
If it had been another time, Minako would have latched onto  
to her favorite Light, and he would have whisked her away into the  
train. Now, though... nuh-uh. This was way too good to leave   
alone.  
  
"ANOTHER?" asked Minako, and looked at them. "You're so  
young to be engaged to even one!"  
  
"Yeah, well," said the boy. "It's not like I WANT to get  
married to her."  
  
"I sure as hell don't want to marry HIM."  
  
"She's way too uncute to be a wife--"  
  
"How dare you--"  
  
"Awe come on! You're the worst cook that ever existed!"  
  
"I am not!"  
  
"Are too!"  
  
"Am not!"  
  
"Are too!"  
  
Her sweet face darkened. "Why you... you..."  
  
"Me what?" he taunted, and stuck out his tongue. "Run out   
of smart remarks already, 'am not' girl?"  
  
"Look who's talking!"  
  
*Innocent, taken, and immature.*  
  
Seiya and Minako just watched. The whistle for the train   
blew suddenly, but the engaged couple didn't hear over their   
screams.   
  
"You know what you are?!" the girl cried.  
  
"No. What am I?" he shot back.  
  
"Um..." said Minako.  
  
"Uh..." said Seiya. "I think the train's about to leave..."  
  
"A womanizing... no good... rotten... lousy... lousy..."  
  
"Lousy what?"  
  
"A lousy--"  
  
"ARE YOU GUYS COMING OR NOT?!" screamed Yaten from the   
train, Taiki standing next to the silver haired boy.  
  
"Bye!" chirped Minako, and raced after Seiya, flying through  
the doors as they began to close. Minako slid in to the seat next   
to Yaten, Seiya already shoving the shortest Light out of the way  
to sit next to Taiki. He could be generous... up to a point.  
  
"Oh no!" cried the girl, and the couple ran into the same   
car. The doors closed a split second after the girl was safely   
inside, but she fell into him as the train lurched into motion.  
  
His arms wrapped around her as he started to lose his   
balance, and as they crashed onto the floor, he made sure he had   
taken the impact.  
  
They laid there for a moment, staring at each other,   
swimming in each others eyes, before they realized what kind of  
situation they were in. Blushing, they got to their feet, and sat,   
facing across from each other by the window across from the Lights  
and Minako.  
  
*Innocent, taken, immature... and hopelessly in love.*  
  
Meanwhile, outside of the train, Nezu had flung her ice   
cream cone into an unsuspecting crowd, and chased after the bullet  
train, cursing as it sped out of her sight.  
  
This assignment would prove far more difficult than she had   
first thought.  
  
******  
  
"I can't believe it!" cried Usagi, squeezing Artemis into  
oblivion. "She left without us!"  
  
"I thought she was my friend!" sobbed Makoto. "She could  
have brought me along! She could have had Seiya, and I could have   
taken Taiki--"  
  
"Absolutely not!" cried Ami.  
  
"--And we could have shared Yaten--"  
  
"Please," said Haruka, and held her head in her hands.   
"You're giving me a headache."  
  
"I DO admit, this is very strange," said Michiru. "But what  
I find odd is the fact she actually pulled it off."  
  
"Definitely!" agreed Ami. "She usually blows her cover  
after the first five minutes of thinking up an idea."  
  
"And you!" Makoto jabbed a finger in Haruka's direction.   
"Both of you! You saw everything! What were you doing up on the  
roof anyway?"  
  
Haruka began to cough, and Michiru averted her gaze.  
  
"Wait, wait. I don't want to know."  
  
"Look," said Haruka. "We already told you we tried to catch  
her before she reached the station."  
  
"She was slippery," said Michiru.  
  
"AAAAAAAH!" cried the inner senshi and covered their ears.  
  
"Therapy image! Therapy image!" called Usagi.  
  
"Children," muttered Haruka.  
  
"I say we discuss what her leaving means to the Sailor   
Senshi as a defense for Earth," said Setsuna. Everybody quieted  
down, nodding in agreement.  
  
"The thing with Minako-san," she continued. "Is she has a   
way of inadvertently meeting trouble wherever she goes."  
  
Michiru nodded. "I agree with this. Our theory is she'll   
meet a Sailor Animate wherever she's going to. The only problem   
is Sailor Moon is the only one able to bring the enemy back to   
their original form."  
  
"But what if there's an attack in Tokyo?" asked Usagi,   
letting go of her hold on Artemis enough for him to turn back from  
blue to white.  
  
"That's what we can't decide on. My suggestion is we keep  
Usagi in Tokyo for now, and the Outer senshi follow Minako-chan."  
  
"No way!" cried Makoto. "We want to come too!"  
  
"Here it is," said Rei as she walked back into the room,   
carrying a piece of paper. She sat down next to Usagi, and held it  
up for all to see, keeping Usagi at bay with her elbow.  
  
"I want to see it!" she cried. "I want to see it!"  
  
"She's used kanji in here that you don't know," said Rei.  
"I doubt you would be able to read it."  
  
"Not true!" cried Usagi. "We have the same grade average!"  
  
Rei pressed a hand against Usagi's forehead, keeping her at  
arm's length as she read the letter, and the odango girl flailed her  
arms, stretching her fingers out as far as she could.  
  
"'Dear Rei-chan,  
I'm leaving for a few days, and don't expect me to  
be back before then. If you have any trouble in the city, I place  
you as leader of the inner senshi for now. Just don't get too power  
hungry! I reclaim my position when I get back.  
  
I know this seems strange, just leaving without notice,   
but I want you to know, I WILL be back. I'll make sure of it... I  
just know I won't be any help to the group right now.  
  
Give everybody my love, and tell Haruka and Michiru I saw  
what they were doing. Bad girls!  
  
And tell Ami, that yes, I know we have a test soon, but   
not to worry. I have it all prepared. Taiki's my tutor! See?   
I've even learned new kanji! It's an up and up world, I tell you!  
  
Give this message to Makoto. "DAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!"  
  
And to Usagi-chan... don't worry. I'll bring Seiya-kun   
back in one piece.  
  
I might as well say to Setsuna, you know where I am... if  
they don't figure it out, you might as well tell them.  
  
And to Hotaru... don't destroy the world without me!  
  
Hugs and kisses,  
Minako-chan."  
  
"Well," said Michiru.  
  
"I also found this around the shrine area."  
  
"The flyer?"  
  
"Yeah. That's where she's going," said Rei. "I know it."  
  
"It's settled then," said Haruka. "Michiru and I will go  
up and stick around Minako. Setsuna and Hotaru will stay for extra   
power."  
  
"Hey, I'M the leader," said Rei.  
  
"Only for the little people," said Haruka, and waved it off  
when Rei made a fist. "I'm joking! Really!"  
  
"If the enemy IS there," said Michiru. "We'll try to keep  
them at bay and wait until you guys get there."  
  
"How long can it take?" asked Makoto.  
  
"Well, around two hours by bullet train," said Ami. "But if  
we combine forces and use the Sailor Teleport, it could take about  
thirty seconds."  
  
"But without three soldiers..."  
  
"We've done it with only the inner soldiers," said Rei.  
  
"That's right," said Usagi. "We'll have six now."  
  
"Settled," said Haruka. "We'll leave tomorrow."  
  
"Why not tonight?!"  
  
"The helicopter's in the shop until next week, my   
convertible got keyed the other day, and I need to find the guy who  
did it and rip his heart out. My motorcycle has engine trouble,   
which is easily fixed after a couple of hours of work. Our speedboat  
is on loan, and I sure as Hell am NOT going to take a damn train!"   
  
"Well," said Makoto.  
  
"So what's left?" asked Usagi.  
  
"A couple bicycles, A submarine and a hot air balloon. And  
since it's too far to ride on a bike, that's out. The submarine is   
only registered for the sea, which leaves..."  
  
"The hot air balloon takes a couple hours to fill," said  
Michiru. "We should get there by tomorrow evening."  
  
******  
  
The city had fled the sight of Yaten long ago, and he stared  
out of the window, watching as farm houses and rice fields blurred  
past him. Taiki was reading, Seiya was twiddling his thumbs, and   
Minako was talking to the engaged couple. Sighing happily, Yaten   
relished in the quiet, blocking out the soft voices on the other   
side of the car.  
  
"So let me get this straight. Both of your fathers arranged  
your wedding before your births. But YOUR dad arranged two others  
during those sixteen years over petty okonomiyaki carts and   
Chinese Amazon tribe duels, causing you grief, angst and near death  
experiences."  
  
"Right."  
  
"Meanwhile, YOU'VE been fighting off all the guys before   
school starts EVERY single day, including an incredibly romantic  
guy with a wooden sword who thinks 'no' is 'yes', and 'yes' is 'I  
want to be the mother of your children."  
  
"Right."   
  
"An old man steals your bras and panties, you can bring   
mallets out of thin air just to hit him, and a lady down the street  
pours water on the side walk just for kicks."  
  
"Right."  
  
"Can I write this down? Because this is way too strange."   
  
"Uh... sure."  
  
"Thanks!"  
  
The couple looked at each other and shrugged.  
  
"So. YOU have a fear of cats so violent it actually makes   
you think you ARE one, and the only way to be brought back is when   
you get near HER."  
  
"Look, what's your point?"  
  
"I want to move to Nerima!" she cried.The couple paled.  
"You have it all! Adventure, love triangles, power, beauty,  
a pet that DOESN'T talk to you. You even have the best cook in Japan  
for an older sister! All that's left is learning YOU turn into a   
woman every time you're hit with cold water."   
  
The engaged couple looked at each other, and blanched,  
sputtering out panicked denials. Minako rose her eyebrows and made  
an "o" with her lips.  
  
"Wow... I am ON today."  
  
"I-It's not true!" he cried.  
  
"Don't worry," she said. "Your secret is safe with me."  
  
"What secret?!" he sobbed.  
  
"The thing is," said Minako, leaning in towards them.   
"While three women are engaged to him, _I_ want to get engaged to   
three men."  
  
"Really," the girl gasped, and moved over to sit next to   
Minako. "I could tell you what the other girls do... it seems to   
work well on guys, from what I've seen. They've caused more than   
enough nose bleeds to last a life time."  
  
The boy snorted. Minako squealed.  
  
"I would love that!" she cried. Finally, she had a plan.  
  
******  
  
*I hate chickens!* Nezu thought, as white feathers flew into  
her face, clinging to her clothes and hair. She flailed her arms,  
trying to get the damned things off of her, only causing more raucous  
with the flightless birds.  
  
*Great. Just dandy.*  
  
The chicken truck rode on at a snail's pace, and Nezu sat on  
the edge, feet dangling, prepared at any moment for when a phone   
would ring beside her.  
  
Which it did.  
  
******  
  
The couple had gotten off at the station before Minako's,   
saying their goodbyes, and wishing good luck to all. Unfortunately,  
Minako could hear their arguments as the doors began to close, and  
watched with thoughtfulness as the two figures rushed out of sight.  
  
To the Three Lights, the violent teenagers had been a safe  
haven, but now Minako's short attention span was redirected to the  
hapless idols.  
  
"Soooo..." she said, batting her eyelashes as she glomped   
onto Yaten. "We're going to have SO much fun, you guys."  
  
"I bet," said Seiya. "As long as we get some peace and   
quiet. I've had enough of noise for one year."  
  
"Tell me about it," said Taiki. "But as long as there   
aren't any bees around, I'll be just fine."  
  
"Bees?" asked Minako.  
  
"Yes," he said. "I'm allergic to them."  
  
"That's terrible!" she cried.  
  
"You should have seen the last time he was stung," laughed  
Seiya. Yaten was having a hard time keeping a straight face too.  
"He was just smelling the roses one day, and there's this tiny,  
cute bee--"  
  
"It was monstrous!" defended Taiki.  
  
"--He was flailing around like a little sissy--"  
  
"I was not!"  
  
"--Screaming at the top of his lungs to have somebody save   
him. Well, eventually he swatted the poor thing, and it turned on   
him--"  
  
"MASSIVE hives," added Yaten. "He was in bed for over two  
weeks. He couldn't even eat by himself--"  
  
"Had to be spoon fed."  
  
Seiya and Yaten doubled over laughing, but Minako's eyes  
softened instantly, and she moved over to sit next to Taiki.  
  
"That's so tragic!" she cried. "You must have felt awful."  
  
"Why, yes," he said surprised. "Those two were no help."  
  
"_I_ could have taken care of you," she said, throat thick  
with seduction. Taiki scooted away, his back hitting the window,   
and whimpered. He knew he had been cornered to begin with, but the  
fact it was coming into physical reality made it all the more worse.  
  
"Remember that song we sang to him?" Seiya wiped a tear   
from his eye. Yaten on the other hand fell onto the floor,   
clutching his stomach.  
  
"I'm runnin' from a little bumble bee..."  
  
"Won't the press just be so filled with glee--"  
  
"STOP!" he sobbed. The other two hooted in amusement.  
  
The train began to slow, and the view was visible enough to  
reveal dense forest caked in mist, beckoning green, and though the  
sky was darkening, it still seemed bright out, a sky masked with  
gray.  
  
"Sugoi," murmured Taiki.  
  
"It's... it's beautiful," gasped Minako, and the train  
pulled up to a tiny station, and grabbing their bags, the small  
party headed out the open doors.  
  
And there, leaning against the wall, was perfection. The   
hair on the back of the Three Lights' rose, and the boys knew   
competition when they saw it.  
  
He moved with liquid motion, and standing regally, he met   
the four half way. He about as tall as Taiki, and she had to stare  
WAY way up to meet him eye to eye.  
  
"Are you Aino Minako?" perfection asked.  
  
Her heart literally leaped into her throat as she stared  
at his beautiful hair. A grayish blue, like the undercoat of a   
wolf. He smiled sweetly, at an angle, enough to send another twist  
to her heart. He even had small fangs! Fangs!  
  
"Am I... Aino Minako?"  
  
"What's wrong with her?" whispered Yaten. Seiya shrugged,   
and observed as her usual demeanor suddenly stilled, a rush of blank  
passing through her head.  
  
Minako looked up at Taiki, and repeated her question, fully  
serious. "Am I Aino Minako?"  
  
"Last time I checked." His eyes widened slightly.  
  
She turned back to the young man. "I think I am."  
  
"I'm here to pick you guys up," he said. "My name is San,   
I work at the Celestial Retreat with Furui-sama."  
  
"San..." she sighed. "What a beautiful name."   
  
He blinked before flushing furiously.  
  
*Innocent!!!!*  
  
"It's nothing special," he said. "But YOUR name is one   
people would kill for."  
  
"Really?!"  
  
"Definitely. Beautiful child of love. It suits you."  
  
She was in love. Totally, one hundred percent fallen.  
  
Yaten snorted, and San's golden eyes met his. That was when   
Yaten felt it happen.  
  
It was subtle at first, a tingling sensation on his skin,  
trailing up and down his arms, over his neck, whispering against his  
ear. They say the eyes are the window to the soul, and Yaten's eyes  
began to freeze as the tingling sensation began to travel through  
his head and down to his heart, reaching, testing, probing, and  
finally opening a door he had kept closed for so long.  
  
San's eyes narrowed suddenly, and Yaten staggered back as  
the coldness swept through him. The Three Lights could feel as the  
boy suddenly put up a barrier between them, an impenetrable wall,  
blocking as much of them from his mind as possible.  
  
San would not touch them for all the world.  
  
Minako was completely oblivious, but more importantly, she  
had gained her composure back. "So what's a guy like you doing   
here? You should have been discovered by now!"  
  
She latched onto his arm and handed him a card.   
  
"But seriously, San-san. If you ever want a manager, just   
call me up. I'm sure I can find a way to fit you in my schedule."  
  
"Thank you very much for the offer, Minako-san. But I   
already... um... am tied up right now."  
  
"I understand," she said, her light dimming.   
  
San felt suddenly guilty, and quickly stammered, "B-but if  
I ever decide to... be discovered, I'll look you up."  
  
"Really?" She perked up, and stared into his eyes intensely.  
  
"A-absolutely."   
  
She squealed in delight, and they strolled down to the open   
top Jeep parked in front of the station, leaving the Three Lights   
behind.  
  
"Well, that was interesting," said Seiya, watching the two.  
  
"The way he looked at us," said Taiki, his gaze boring into  
the back of San's head. "It was as if he decided we weren't worthy  
to be dust."  
  
"He knows," said Yaten flatly, but his voice trembled a bit.  
  
"Knows what?"  
  
"We aren't who we say we are."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
The mysterious boy had heard the cry of a hidden secret, and  
followed the trail to Yaten's heart. The silver haired idol lowered  
his gaze. Was he really that open? Was he really that obvious?  
  
Or was he begging to be found out?  
  
"I felt him find it," said Yaten. *I helped him to...*  
  
"Maybe you were mistaken," Taiki reasoned.  
  
"Yeah," said Seiya. "It could be he's jealous of us."  
  
"Because of Aino-kun?" Taiki began to laugh.  
  
"ARE YOU GUYS COMING?" called Minako from the frontseat of the  
Jeep. The three boys picked up their bags, and walked to the car,   
careful not to look too rushed.  
  
Even in the mountains, you had to keep up an image. And   
that was what made Yaten even more depressed than he realized.  
  
******  
  
END OF PART 1B  
  
******  
  
After notes: If you haven't guessed already, the anonymous couple  
is Akane and Ranma from Ranma 1/2. If you don't know that anime,   
go check it out on anipike.com! It's really cute! Has a little   
gender-bending thing going on too. I just thought it would be cute   
to put them in there for a little bit.  
  
Ranma ½ is owned by Naoko Takeuchi and all the other people who   
have legal rights to it. I just wanted to borrow them for a second.  
  
Why are they at the train station? Who knows. Maybe they just like  
taking train rides into the mountains. And why are they anonymous?  
  
I don't usually like writing crossovers, or even putting original   
characters in... (you'd never know, would you?) Why? I have no   
idea. It just makes me a little creeped out. There are so many   
crossover and original character fics that have gone INCREDIBLY   
wrong, that I tend to stay away from them.  
  
But I hope this works out! Feedback is definitely appreciated!  
Sarah_neko3000@hotmail.com  
  
Party on, Wayne! 


	3. Day 0: Part 1C

Retreat into Hell  
By Sarah-chan  
Part 1C  
  
Notes: None! Isn't that a change?  
  
******  
  
"Wow, so you guys are REALLY isolated," Minako said, huffing  
as they hiked up a small trail. San had the girl's suitcase slung   
over his shoulder, and ignored the grunts and groans of Taiki and   
Yaten in the background.  
  
Seiya, meanwhile, was in his element, as he carried his  
bag on top of his head and almost skipped up the hill ahead of   
Minako and San. He was humming the bumble bee song, his head   
slightly tilted to make sure Taiki could hear it, and the brown   
haired boy was watching warily for anything small with wings.  
  
"Baka," muttered Yaten as he watched the spunky Light ahead   
of him, and delicately sniffed his shirt. His nose wrinkled in   
disgust. "I'm sweating!"  
  
"The lodge is just around the corner," San said to Minako.  
"We'll be there in a few seconds."  
  
"Good," gasped Minako as fatigue finally set in. The boy  
chuckled good naturedly, and placed a hand on her head in compassion.  
  
*Feh,* she thought. *All I need is another demi-god wanting   
to be my big brother.*  
  
And she understood why when they rounded the corner.  
  
Seiya's jaw literally dropped. Taiki's paranoia was   
forgotten with the blink of an eye. Yaten's engrossment in bodily   
functions was let go. Which meant the girl on the ladder putting up  
the string of paper lanterns was a goddess.  
  
Long black hair misted with sweat, strands strayed from a   
high ponytail sticking to a slender neck, cheeks sun kissed, she was  
reaching high, trying to tie the end of the string to a peg on a   
tree.  
  
A soft melody in the background seemed to flow into the   
Three Lights' ears, and a scent... a scent so familiar.  
  
"Let me help you with that..."  
  
"Thanks, Sa-- Oh!" Caught by surprise, she leaned back into  
Seiya's chest as he took the string and easily tied it to the peg  
with his lengthy fingers. Her deep olive eyes barely met his, and a   
connection was made between them, a connection that had been lost to  
the boy so long ago...  
  
San was seething. Minako could feel the heat radiating from  
his body as she stood next to him.  
  
The girl turned around in between Seiya's arms, the ladder   
shaking slightly, and it finally settled down as they faced each   
other.  
  
"Have we met?" he asked.  
  
"...Have we?" she said. Her voice was low, quiet, and   
intense. The way she said those two words hinted of a code, a key   
that could somehow unlock a secret, a riddle Seiya had been trying to  
understand. Her face was expressively expressionless, as if the   
words she was meant to say were at the tip of her tongue, and yet  
wanted to stay silent. "Seiya Kou..."  
  
Such foreignly said words, how oddly sounding, as if... as   
if she was not from... from--  
  
"Having fun?" called a voice, breaking apart their void-like  
moment. Seiya's head whipped around to see a small, old man at the  
doorway of the large traditional Japanese home. His wise eyes   
watched them with amusement.  
  
"Grandfather!" the girl cried. "Don't embarrass him! You   
made him blush!"  
  
"You already did that for me, my dear."  
  
Her hips pressed against Seiya's stomach in a gesture to   
move, and Seiya began to climb back down the ladder. When he reached  
the bottom, he held out a hand to help her down, but she jumped from  
the step, landing with cat like grace next to her grandfather.  
  
Seiya was entranced, captivated, completely immobile by her  
presence. And that scent...  
  
A whisper at his ear broke him from his gaze.  
  
"If you ever touch her again, I promise you will live long  
enough only to regret it."  
  
"Since when are you her protector?" he shot back, just as  
silently. They stood next to each other, watching as the young blond  
walked up reverently to the girl and her grandfather.  
  
"Since the ones she loved most were taken away from her."  
  
The Three Lights froze.  
  
"You must be the child who called earlier this morning," the   
old man said to Minako. "Your angelic voice matches your features.  
I am Furui, owner of the Celestial Retreat. I am honored to meet   
you, Minako-san."  
  
"T-thank you," said Minako, still slightly dazed.  
  
Both she and the old man bowed, Minako making sure she was   
the lower of the two. But for some odd reason, Furui-sama kept his  
bow as deep as hers. Their eyes met on the way up, and she could   
tell from his gaze he thought of her as someone more than just a   
hyper teenager.  
  
"This is my granddaughter, Mariko," he said, and the   
beautiful young woman smiled charmingly, if a little hesitant, and   
both she and Minako bowed to each other. Mariko made sure she stayed  
on the same level as Minako, slightly unnerved by the fact her   
grandfather had done the same. It was an extremely high honor,   
especially from him.  
  
Furui's bow always moved past the barrier of age, and rested  
in the realm of strength, power, and honor.  
  
"I-I am honored to meet you," Mariko said.  
  
"Really?" Minako matched the girl's sweet smile. There was  
a small inch of competition between them, but the night haired girl  
knew she was revered by the sun child. "I hope we learn more about  
each other while we're here."  
  
"I would like that," Mariko said in reply, and wassurprised by the fact she truly meant it.  
  
"And you three must be the Three Lights who are taking the   
bill. I am happy that you are willing to spend so much for this   
young lady."  
  
"Why am I not surprised she didn't pay for her own ticket?"  
  
"Shush," whispered Seiya, and the three boys moved to meet   
the old man. "I must admit, just seeing this land makes it all worth  
while."  
  
Furui-sama chuckled. "Wise words from a strong leader. You  
ARE Seiya Kou."  
  
They bowed, but this time, Furui-sama left his bow slightly  
shallow.  
  
"You... you know my name," said Seiya.  
  
"Baka," hissed Yaten in his ear. "Mariko's a girl..."  
  
"My granddaughter has your faces plastered all over her  
room," Furui said. "It's hard not to know a few things about you  
when your music is blaring through the forest."  
  
"Grandfather!" moaned Mariko, her face flushing.  
  
"She doesn't like to admit," said Furui, mock-whispering to  
the boys. "That her favorite is Taiki."  
  
"GRANDFATHER!" she cried, throwing her hands up into the air  
and half turning, trying to hide the burning of her cheeks in the  
shadows. She realized then it was now night, and the only light   
was from the house. "I'll light the lanterns," she said, and walked  
away from the group shakily.  
  
Taiki beamed in triumph while the other two glowered at him.  
  
"Why not me?" asked Seiya, blinking. "I'm the poster boy!"  
  
"A man who shows intelligence as well as strength is a true  
man indeed," said Taiki, folding his arms smugly.  
  
"Well said, well said," said Furui and the two men bowed.  
Taiki was having a hard time trying to bow lower than the old man, as  
they were at the opposite sides of the spectrum.  
  
"This is truly a magnificent place," Yaten said as he stared  
at the massive and ancient trees. The house glowed, as if it itself  
was a paper lantern, begging to blow in the breeze.  
  
"One such as yourself would know much of beauty," said Furui,   
and they bowed together, Furui giving him the same deepness as  
Seiya and Taiki.  
  
Mariko walked out with a box of matches, and shaking them   
with her wrist she eyed Minako. "Would you like to help me light the  
lanterns?"  
  
"Definitely!" cried Minako.  
  
"Great!" She smiled. "This'll get done a lot faster with  
two sets of hands." And Mariko handed her another box that appeared   
with a flick of a wrist.  
  
"You can take the ladder," said Mariko, and turned to San.   
"Would you hold me up?"  
  
"Sure thing," and the boy glided to her, raising her by the   
waist up onto his shoulders, and she sparked the match into flame,   
and began her work.  
  
Minako blinked, and Furui moved next to her.  
  
"They've been a team ever since they were little children.  
I almost wonder whether or not they'll run away to join the circus.  
At least they would get paid."  
  
"They're so agile!" she gasped.  
  
"You have that quality," said Furui. "Very cat-like."  
  
"I do?"  
  
"Most assuredly. With a little practice you could be just  
as effective."  
  
"Sometimes I CAN actually be that good... I just... feel like  
a completely different person."  
  
"Ah, is that so?" Furui smiled, and turned to the house.   
"Well, I'll be inside preparing dinner. It's Itamae-san's night off  
tonight."  
  
"Itamae-san?"  
  
"Our chef. Sometimes I'm glad when he's away.One hell of a temper. If you need anything, I'll be inside." And he  
was gone.  
  
Minako eyed the ladder, then Mariko and San, then the ladder   
again, and her eyes suddenly crossed to the three boys.  
  
"Oh no," said Yaten waving his hands from her. "Don't even  
think about it."  
  
"I... I feel famished," said Taiki and joined Yaten on his  
companion on his way inside to the kitchen.  
  
"Please?" asked Minako to the lonely Light, her eyelashes   
batting against her cheeks. Seiya mumbled some excuse, knowing he  
would end up looking like a fool if he tried, and not up to facing  
the violently resentful San at this point. Pouting, Minako watched   
the three boys walk away. She sighed, climbed the ladder, and joined  
Mariko in lighting the lanterns.  
  
"It must be nice to always have a boy by your side," murmured  
Minako, more to herself than to Mariko. The other girl stopped, and  
looked down to meet San's eyes with surprise before resuming her   
task.  
  
"It must be nice to be able to survive alone," she replied.  
  
They looked at each other at that moment, a dense air of   
melancholy surrounding them. Each girl stared longingly at the   
other, hoping, wishing for something that could never be theirs.  
  
There was one last lantern to be lit, and they looked at   
each other before dipping their matches to the wick together, the  
flame burning with the power of two... ne, make that the power of   
three, the glow of the fire gently falling onto their faces, night  
against day, hope against resignation, light burning past both   
darknesses.  
  
*****  
  
"This is great!" cried Seiya as he dug into the bowl of food  
placed in front of him. Yaten averted his eyes away from him, pained  
by the small grains of rice stuck on the corners of his mouth. "I  
haven't had anything this good since we pretended to eat that junk   
for that one commercial."  
  
"It wasn't junk," said Yaten. "It was caviar. HIGH quality  
caviar. Any food buff would know a delicacy when they tasted it."  
  
"Yeah, right. Salty. Fish eggs. Junk."  
  
"Seiya-kun's been deprived," said Taiki.  
  
"I'm glad you like my cooking," said Mariko. "Sweet fish is  
about all I can do, though."  
  
"I thought Furui-sama said he was cooking," said Minako.  
  
"The wonders of a microwave!" he said. "My granddaughter was  
taught well. I just heat left overs."  
  
"YOU cooked this?" asked Seiya.  
  
"Yes," said Mariko. "I even gathered the honey myself."  
  
"The sweet stuff was homemade honey?" Seiya's eyes widened,  
and the young girl blushed. Yaten rolled his eyes.   
  
"I haven't seen any bees around here," said Minako.  
  
"We have bee hives a ways away," explained Furui. "But Mariko-  
chan's the beekeeper. They seem to calm down around her."  
  
"Fascinating," murmured Taiki.  
  
"Do you like bees?" asked Mariko. Taiki began to pale, while  
the other two Lights snickered.  
  
"A-actually, I do," he said, his heart stopping as he looked  
into her intense and cat-formed eyes. "They're so... so cute."  
  
"I'll take you to the hives tomorrow. Would you like that?"  
  
"There's probably something you should know about Taiki and   
bees. You see, he's--"  
  
"I-I've never had a chance to see them REALLY."  
  
"Wow!" said Mariko. "We're definitely going, then. You'll   
love it. They get into these HUGE swarms around you--"  
  
"I-I can't wait."  
  
San scowled, and met Furui's gaze. The old man shook his   
head, and the boy sighed and stood up.  
  
"We have a pretty big day tomorrow," said San. "So I better  
go to bed. Good night, Furui-sama, Mariko-chan... Minako-san."  
  
"G'night, San-san."  
  
"Oi," muttered Seiya under his breath, and Minako elbowed him  
in the ribs. San made sure he met Seiya's gaze before walking out   
the door.  
  
"What's up with him?" asked Mariko.  
  
"He just didn't get a lot of sleep last night," said Furui.  
"With the way he works, it's a wonder he doesn't collapse at noon.   
Built like a horse."  
  
"He's going to run himself into the ground if he doesn't   
stop! He can't keep on going like this!" cried Mariko.  
  
"I'll talk to him about it. But first, we need to make   
sleeping arrangements. We only have two extra bedrooms in this   
house... unless you want to go the other houses... they're about  
a mile away--"  
  
"No! Please! No more walking!"  
  
"All I'm saying," said Yaten. "Is I am NOT going to be in  
the same room as Seiya. He snores like an animal."  
  
"Oh!" said Furui. "I was going to put you boys together,  
and give Minako-san her own room, but if you're all right with  
sharing a room with her-"  
  
"W-wait a second-"  
  
"Great!" cried Minako. "That would be perfect!"  
  
"Yes! Yes!" cried Taiki. "How about it, Seiya-kun? Want  
to share a room with me?"  
  
"Roommates to the end, my friend!" cried Seiya, and they  
clasped arms, inseparable.  
  
"Yes," the old man said, and tugged lightly at his gray   
goatee. "I think that will work perfectly."  
  
"Yippee!" cried Minako, and glomped onto Yaten.  
  
"Save me," he whispered to Mariko, but the girl watched with  
barely contained amusement, and shook her head in sympathy.  
  
"When Grandfather says something will work," she said. "You  
better listen to him."  
  
"Oh God," groaned Yaten, and the small party headed off to   
their rooms, where their bags were already deposited, said their  
goodnights, and closed the shoji screens.  
  
Yaten left a large crack open on his, though, and felt  
incredibly relieved to find another screen that opened to the wooden   
deck encircling the entire house.  
  
Escape was possible... oh, yes... it was VERY very possible.  
  
******  
  
"What is THAT?"  
  
"This?" ask Minako, holding up an article of clothing. "Even  
YOU should know pajamas when you see them, Yaten-kun."  
  
"That is NOT a pair of pajamas."  
  
Minako held her PJs up a little higher, surveying it with a   
critical eye. The fabric was silk, a pearl color that shimmered with  
any slight movement, and it felt cool beneath her touch, as if a   
breeze agreed to be woven into cloth. "Then what is it?"  
  
Yaten rolled his eyes, and angrily unzipped his bag, pulling  
out a tee shirt and a pair of sweat pants. What? He scowled when he  
realized he had Seiya's bag.  
  
"Awwwww," came a voice across the hall. "Wittle Kitty Kat  
Pajamas. Ahn't they just PWECIOUS?"  
  
He was NOT going to face those two. He turned his back to  
Minako, ignoring her, and dropped the shirt and shorts onto the  
folded futon and sheets.  
  
Minako pouted slightly, and decided he would warm up when   
she actually put the thing on.  
  
"I'll be just a second," she said, and sauntered over to the   
dressing screen, swaying her hips mesmerizingly. Unfortunately for   
her, Yaten wasn't very mesmerized.  
  
*Oh God,* he thought. *What did I do to deserve this?*  
  
She hummed softly as she peeled off her clothes, but stopped  
when she held the shimmering top in front of her.  
  
*What am I doing?* she thought, but she shook the question   
out of her mind, and placed a determined expression on her face.   
Annoyed, she realized it turned into more of a frown, and inhaling,  
she tugged the top over her head, her fingers trembling when she  
smoothed the fabric at her waist. She quickly pulled on the bottom   
part of her set, and turned to look at herself in the mirror.  
  
*Inhale, Minako. Breathe. This is your one chance to   
seduce Yaten. Tonight is the night! You can't be a little girl any  
more.*  
  
She held back a whimper when she pulled the bow out of   
her hair. Gone was the old Minako, the Minako who could never get a  
guy, and she realized why.  
  
Nobody wanted the little schoolgirl besides old men. She   
saw the way guys watched Rei or Michiru. They were mature, sexy...   
and reserved. Guys wanted what they couldn't have.  
  
So take that red ribbon out of your hair, child, and watch  
the golden strands fall down. Twist the crimson strip through your  
fingers. You can't grow up in five seconds, my dear... keep at   
least some of your innocence... men don't like corrupted women.  
  
*But what am I?* she thought. *What am I?*  
  
She picked her hair up, piling on top of her head, and tied  
the ribbon around as best she could... there. That was better. Her  
hair was out of her face, in a thick, high ponytail.  
  
She had to admit though, if Michiru or Rei saw her at that  
moment, they would have died of jealousy.  
  
"Showtime," she whispered, and paused, resting a hand on her  
stomach, before moving from behind the screen.  
  
"Took you long enough. Help me set up the--" He was cut  
short when he turned his head to acknowledge her presence... he   
acknowledged a whole lot more, that was for sure.  
  
Yaten's eyes widened as Minako walked towards him. And as   
she stared into those green orbs, watching him stand and just look at  
her, she nearly forgot all about her mission.  
  
"Wha..." He breathed, but his voice trailed off, left in a  
breath as Minako stopped in front of him. They were achingly close,  
inches apart, and Yaten couldn't seem to move away, couldn't seem to  
do much at all, in fact.   
  
"Hmm?" she asked softly. "You wanted to say something?"  
  
She inhaled, her chest rising dramatically. Yaten blinked,  
coming back into reality.  
  
"What are you doing?" he growled, and turned his back on her,  
but Minako noticed he was wiping his nose with the sleeve of his  
shirt. Victory! Long live Victoria's Secret!  
  
"What do you mean, what am I doing?" she asked, feigning  
innocence. Yaten turned his head in her direction, meeting her   
eyes for a brief moment, but wasn't able to keep contact.  
  
A shiver ran up her spine as his eyes trailed downward.  
  
*What are you thinking? Stupid, stupid Yaten.* The idol  
mentally kicked himself, and knelt down to his futon, picked it up  
with the sheets and walked over to the other side of the room,   
dropping his bed on the floor.  
  
"There is NO way I'm sleeping near you," he said.  
  
"Why not?" she asked, a faint smile playing across her lips.  
"Afraid of something?"  
  
"Me," he said, which surprised them both. Time seemed to   
stop as they stared at each other, and Yaten frowned absently as if  
he was trying to keep his emotions inside, and they were begging to   
be let out. "Minako..."   
  
There was a ruffle of clothing as a figure walked past the   
door, and Yaten moved over quickly to shut it all the way.  
  
"Put some real clothes on for God's sake!" he hissed, and   
turned off the switch, pale moonlight filtering in through the  
paper walls. He walked over to his unfolded futon and fell on to it  
heavily, sighing as he rolled over onto his side.   
  
Minako blinked, knelt down, and unfolded the futon,   
delicately fitting the sheets over the corners.   
  
*What's wrong with me?* she thought as she took the cover   
and placed it on top of the bed. *He seemed to be interested...*  
  
She hugged her pillow, burying her face in the soft form,  
wondering how it would feel if instead of this, she was   
actually holding someone real, some one who cared, who wanted to   
give to her as much as she wanted to give to him.  
  
As she brooded over that thought, Yaten watched her back,   
trying to understand why she was acting so strangely.  
  
*Maybe she actually wants me.*  
  
The thought had crossed his mind more than enough times, but  
he didn't want to consider it a possibility. She was chasing after  
ALL three of the Three Lights, not just one. But the question that  
ran through his mind over and over was, *Why is she trying to be  
somebody she's not?*  
  
Minako jumped out of her train of thought when a soft veil   
fell on top of her head. Spinning around, she saw a shirtless Yaten  
roll over onto his other side.  
  
Smiling, she pulled the shirt over her head, crawled into   
the covers and closed her eyes.  
  
"Good night, Yaten-san."  
  
"...Good night, Aino-kun."  
  
******  
  
Fingertips flowing through green leaves beyond   
a pink sky rolling dropping clouds of faint hunger   
she is there   
amongst the blue trees smiling  
crimson hair flowing  
dress floating  
face dreaming  
now. Now. NOW.  
  
Pink sky now black with clouds of pure silver  
she cries  
she cries  
she cries out  
screams of pure terror rise out of her skin  
she screams  
adding to the sound  
  
and I there stand  
watching  
watching  
just watching  
her crimson hair mix in with the blood.  
  
Her eyes  
Those eyes  
Staring at me  
Tearing at me  
Begging at me  
Do something  
Yaten  
Do something  
Yaten  
Do something   
Yaten   
DO SOMETHING   
YATEN  
YATEN  
YATEN  
  
"Yaten!"  
  
"KAKYUU!!!"  
  
He bolted upright only to be shoved back down by a set of  
hands. His eyes were wild as he frantically tried to free himself  
from the shackles binding him to the ground.  
  
"Yaten!" whispered Minako. "It was only a dream!"  
  
He fell back onto the bed, his chest heaving as he tried to  
take in oxygen, as he tried to calm down, as he tried to get the   
image of HER out of his mind.  
  
Finally, the throbbing in Yaten's ears died away, his breaths  
became shallower, his eyes adjusted to the darkness. And there   
she was, over him, on top of him, so very very close. Yaten inhaled  
Minako's sweet breath, and turned his head away, his blush a pale   
blue in the night.  
  
"Fireball," she said quietly, dissecting it with her mind.  
  
"W-what?"  
  
"You screamed out 'Fireball'..."  
  
Shocked, he felt her fingers wipe away a tear that had winded  
its way down his face, and he rolled his head back to face her, to   
stare at her huge blue eyes, black from the shadows, wide with worry.  
  
Her finger traced along the thin wet trail the tear had made,  
leaving his nerves aflame as her touch whispered away. He was  
mesmerized by her now, by the way she fit so comfortably to him, as   
if they had been created as one and had been torn apart, two pieces  
to a jigsaw puzzle.  
  
He dared not move, afraid of what would happen if he did.  
Would she fall away? Or would she move closer?  
  
Such an intent look on his face, so strange... so unnerving.  
  
*Oh my God,* she thought. *He's going to kiss me. He's   
actually going to...*  
  
"...Kiss me," she whispered absently, unknowingly, barely   
audible, and Yaten's eyes closed with a shudder, bringing a hand to   
the back of her neck, reeling her in, closer, closer... closer...  
  
*'You screamed out "Fireball"...'*  
  
"No," he hissed, and pushed her off of him harshly. Landing,  
on her side, she winced, surprised, and stared as he stood up,  
shaking himself off, trying to get the feeling of her on him to die   
away.  
  
Minako shakily got to her feet, and watched painfully as he  
turned to face her. His eyes blazed with fury, and she started to   
come towards him, but he backed away, pointing a finger at her.  
  
"Don't come near me--"  
  
"Yaten--"  
  
"Stay away."  
  
"But--"  
  
"But nothing, Aino-kun. It was a mistake. A stupid mistake.  
What's the point? I don't love you."  
  
His stomach twisted when he realized the last sentence was  
more of a denial than a statement. *I don't love her. I don't.*  
  
Her shoulders sagged beneath the baggy shirt, and he turned  
away from her, his heart tearing apart with that forlorn look on her  
face.  
  
"I thought..."  
  
He opened the door that led to the deck, and walked out, no,  
RAN out, leaving the girl behind to fall to her knees and collect  
the shattered pieces of her heart that lay scattered on the floor.  
  
A dark figure walked into the room silently, the air stirring  
only by the breeze, and Minako looked up, gasping as the form knelt  
down beside her, and gathered the broken girl in gentle arms.  
  
Her arms involuntarily wrapped around a slender waist, and  
she buried her head in a soft and warm neck. Tears slipped down the  
skin of the figure, and a shudder passed through both bodies.  
  
A small sob escaped Minako, and a hand ran down her back  
soothingly, before tightening its hold, pressing her closer carefully,  
hesitantly.  
  
"Shh... it's all right."  
  
"How... how is it?"  
  
"It will be... you'll find this was only a dream, a terrible  
dream of your fears, of rejection. Let it strengthen you, let it be  
a vision of what you will make sure NOT to happen."  
  
Minako sighed. "A dream..."  
  
"Sleep now... and when you wake up in the morning,it will be a new day."  
  
"Mm..."  
  
Her breaths became suddenly shallow, even, calm, and the   
figure gently carried her to her bed and laid her softly on the   
futon, pulling the covers to her shoulders, brushing her bangs out of  
her face.  
  
There was a rush of movement at the door, and the shadowed   
form turned to watch another person slough Yaten's body into the  
room and onto his futon.  
  
"Asleep?"  
  
"Mm-hm... fought it, though. He's strong."  
  
"He's a liar."  
  
It was silent for a moment before the smaller figure walked  
over to stand beside the other and watch the sleeping girl.  
  
"She's cute."  
  
"She's more than cute. She's Love."  
  
"Why not pursue?"  
  
The answer was quiet and depressing. "You know why."  
  
Breath caught in throat, the smaller form pressed gentle   
fingers to the other's cheek in a gesture of a kiss, the pressure  
causing the taller of the two to moan softly.  
  
They looked at each other, inches apart and yet a river   
divided them, a forbidden path.  
  
"I have to go..."  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
In the distance an owl hooted at the blindingly bright moon.  
The door was shut, and Yaten and Minako were left alone to dream their  
dreams of reality.  
  
******  
  
END PART 1C  
  
****** 


	4. Day 1: Part 2A

Retreat into Hell  
By Sarah-chan  
Part 2A  
  
Note: I mean no disrespect for the French. I've been to Paris,   
met some WONDERFUL people there, and over all it is an absolutely  
GORGEOUS country. But stereotypes are like, so much fun to write  
anyways. They don't really count.  
  
The stereotype for Americans are cowboy outfits, valley girls and  
cheerleaders, blonde hair and blue eyes, but we don't go around   
screaming at the top of our lungs to say, "WE'RE NOT THAT WAY!!!"  
That's not true! I constantly have to keep down the urge to   
attach spurs to my Adidas... well... I WISH I had Adidas.  
  
Some people take things WAY too seriously... and personally.  
  
Oh, and consider the lesson on bees REAL. My uncle owns some, so  
I've seen them in action. The info's a bit vague, since it's   
been a while, so it's not enough to write a term paper on, in   
case you're trying, but it's accurate enough for quaint dinner   
conversation... not really!!  
  
ENJOY!  
  
******  
  
--Day 1--  
  
Yaten woke up screaming when a loud horn blew in his ear,  
and a bucket of ice cold water was poured onto his face.  
  
"WHAT THE----!!!!!!!!"  
  
"Rise and shine!! You over slept! It's four minutes   
after 6:00! You'll be paying for it now!"  
  
"Oh my God, this has to be a nightmare."  
  
"A nightmare?" Furui poked himself and shook his head. "'Fraid not, my boy! Come on, up! UP!"  
  
Yaten scrambled to his feet when he heard two more   
distinctive screams from the other room.  
  
"MY EYES!!!"  
  
"WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!"   
  
"Hey, this is more fun than I thought it would be!"  
  
There was a laugh and, "One of the highlights of my day."  
  
"Can I do it again tomorrow, San-san?"  
  
"Absolutely. As long as you're the first person to wake   
up."  
  
"You're such a sweetie for getting me up early."  
  
"Don't mention it. It was my pleasure."  
  
Yaten groaned, but was kicked into the hall way, and   
bounced off of Seiya as he was shoved out of his own room.  
  
"Hey! What kind of service is this?!" screamed Yaten.  
  
"Only the best!" said Furui.  
  
"THIS is what we paid for?!" cried Taiki. "Where's the   
sleeping in until noon?"  
  
"NOON?!" Furui's eyes widened. "Are you kidding me?   
That's unthinkable. Oh, and no refunds! Sorry!"  
  
Yaten turned and shot daggers in Minako's direction.   
"What did you get us into?"  
  
Minako grinned widely. "I know, isn't this great?"  
  
"BWEAKFHAST!" called a loud booming voice. Seiya without  
thinking ran to the kitchen, while Taiki stumbled after him.   
"WHERE AH ZE RHEST OF ZE BRAHTS?! I DU NOT HAHVE TIME TO WAIHT   
FOR LEETLE KIDDIES!"  
  
"Coming, Itamae-san!" called San.  
  
"ZE NAME IS *MONSEIUR CHEF* YOU BAHSTARD SON OF A PIG!"  
  
"Ah! He's on a good day, today!" Furui said happily and  
left with San down the hallway, leaving Yaten and Minako alone.  
  
Yaten glared at her.  
  
"I'll never forgive you."  
  
"Oh, posh! Of course you will. And you haven't said   
anything about my outfit!"  
  
  
"What is this? Lara Croft Day?" he asked, narrowing his  
eyes.  
  
  
She looked down at her tight tank top and khaki shorts,   
and looked back to Yaten with a sultry smile.  
  
"Maybe," she said, and quickly honed in to give him a   
light peck on the lips "Come on! Furui-sama has the day all   
planned out. You'll love it!"  
  
And she was gone with a squeal. Yaten blinked a few   
times before realizing what had just happened and realizing he   
hadn't reacted at all. What was wrong with him? Why didn't he   
scream at her in protest and insult her until his fury finally   
died down?  
  
  
"That dream," he muttered, and shuddering he walked down   
the hall, shaking the horrible image of Minako's broken eyes.  
  
His palms pressed into his stomach, and he closed his   
eyes, the air becoming suddenly still as he thought of that dream  
. So real it was scary... the feel of her body, of her hair   
sliding between his fingers...  
  
*Yaten no baka... what have you gotten yourself into?   
She's an annoying idol chaser who's chasing three men at one time  
. That's all. She's just like the rest of them. Yeah, that's   
right. Just another face in the crowd...*  
  
Meanwhile, Minako fell lightly against a wall around the   
corner, closed her eyes dreamily, and congratulated herself on a   
job well done.   
  
*If he doesn't want to kiss you, then YOU kiss him. Take  
the initiative! That's what the dream was telling me. Don't let  
a guy think in instances like those. ESPECIALLY Yaten. And   
Taiki. And Seiya... oh joy. I have my work cut out for me.*  
  
And as she walked down the hallway, her heart dropped a   
little at the prospect of seducing three men. She had always   
been a one man kind of a girl, right?  
  
*Well... Besides Hawkseye and Snakeseye... and... Silly!  
That was the past! No more looking back! Only forward! Onward  
March! The more love, the better!*  
  
******  
  
Yaten entered the kitchen, and began to walk to the table  
where everybody else was, until a very large man in a chef's   
uniform blocked his way.  
  
"DIHD YU NOT HEAR ME WHEN AH CALLHED YU?"  
  
"E-excuse me?"  
  
"AH SLAVE AWAY IN FRONHT UV A HOHT STOHVE FORH *YU*, AHND  
YU HAHVE ZE INSOLENCE TO JUHST TAKE YUR TAHME AND WAHLK IN HERE   
AS EEF YU OWN ZIS KITCHEN."  
  
"I-"  
  
"NUH NUH NUH!! AH DU NOT HAHVE TO TAKE YOUR INSULHTS!   
NO SOUP FOR YOU!"  
  
"Wha-"  
  
"SILENCE!!!"  
  
"Eep!"  
  
Yaten quickly rushed to the table and sat down next to   
Seiya, his stomach grumbling as he eyes the miso soup in front of  
the raven haired boy. Seiya's eyes narrowed and he quickly   
finished off his breakfast. Yaten groaned.  
  
"I see you've met Monsieur Chef," said Mariko happily.  
  
Yaten dropped his head onto the table.  
  
"Good! Everybody's here!"  
  
San and Mariko were standing on either side of the old   
man. Seiya was getting an extra helping of breakfast, while Taiki  
tried inhaling lots of oxygen to calm his nerves down.   
Unfortunately, he only got high and began giggling at the button  
on his shirt while hyperventilating at the prospect of a   
bazillion hairy, gushy, insects racing towards him with stinging  
swords on their butts.   
  
Minako was leaning against the poor guy, soothingly   
rubbing his back and murmuring words of reassurance. He hated to  
admit he was actually calming down by that soft hand. Meanwhile,  
Yaten watching Minako in her Lara Croft cosplay outfit, minus the  
guns, scowling at her intimacy with Taiki.  
  
"So," said Furui. "Today is the day for nourishment of   
the body... and no, not THAT kind." Taiki began to giggle   
hysterically, and breathed in the mountain air to stop, only to   
get more oxygen rushing to his brain.   
  
Furui didn't notice. "We'll be breaking up into pairs.   
Mariko will take Taiki to the beehives to harvest honey. Seiya   
will pair up with San to do yard work, and Yaten will come with me  
to care for the animals. We'll meet back here to have lunch at   
two, and then--"  
  
"Whoa whoa whoa," stuttered Seiya, food dropping out of   
his mouth. "What's this about WORK? This is a retreat, right?   
Time to relax, get tan, do ANYTHING but work."  
  
"R-right!" said Taiki.  
  
"Really!" cried Yaten. "WORKING was not part of the plan.  
Your flyer never said anything about cleaning up some animal's   
WASTE."  
  
"To ease a soul, one must ease the body," said Furui, and  
dropping a pair of Oakley sunglasses onto his nose, he grinned   
and walked away, beckoning for a seething Yaten to follow him.  
  
The shortest Light turned to Minako and jabbed a finger   
out at her. "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! You were the one who made   
the reservations!"  
  
"Hey," said Minako waving her hands at him in defense.   
"You agreed to come!"  
  
"Well maybe if you checked your information instead of   
touching every man you see--"  
  
"I do not!"  
  
"You do too!"  
  
"Do not!"  
  
"Do too!"  
  
"When did I?!"  
  
"What was that with Taiki just a minute ago, huh?"  
  
Suddenly, it dawned on Minako.  
  
"Are you jealous?" She fluttered her eyelashes, causing   
Yaten to sputter.  
  
"Of course not!" he cried, and calmed his aura down.   
"What's in this for you, huh? What do you want so badly--"  
  
"Which reminds me!" cried Furui, spinning around.   
"Minako-san, will you help Itamae-san make lunch?"  
  
"ZAT IZ MONSIEUR _CHEF_, YU FAHRT OF A MAHN. HAOW MENY   
TYMES DU I... HAHFTUTELL YU?!"  
  
The chef stood at the entrance of the doorway, holding a  
large knife in one hand, and twisting a thin moustache angrily   
with his other, his large poofy white chef's hat tilted to be   
looking oh so chic.  
  
"Right, right, Itamae-san," said Furui, and dragged Yaten  
away from the angry chef's glare, off to the bird sanctuary.   
  
His demonic gaze turned to Minako, and the girl suddenly   
felt very very small. He whipped a knifepoint in her direction,   
still twisting his moustache.  
  
"YU THAR, LEETLE GIRHL! DU YU KNOW HAOW TU PREEPAR ZEE... _AH_,   
HOWDUYUSAY... BLOWFEESH."  
  
"B-Blowfish? Isn't that a little dangerous to make?"  
  
"ZE PROHBLEHMS, ZE PROHBLEHMS." The chef rolled his eyes,  
and tapped his foot. "AH CAHN SEE AHLREAHDY YU WILL BE...   
NOHEHLPATALL. COM, COM... QUICKHLY. PWECHIOUS TIME EES BEINGH   
WAHSTED BAHY YUR... HEHZITENZY. MUVE EET!"  
  
Minako eeped and walked towards the man, careful of the   
knife the chef was waving at her, and stared at the remaining   
four watching her, after giving desperate looks to Seiya and   
Taiki.  
  
*Minako-sama, I shall save you from this monster!*  
  
*Nay, my dear Taiki... it is _I_ who will rescue this   
sweet damsel in distress...*  
  
*I think NOT, my comrade.*  
  
*Ohoho, but I think SO, my friend--*  
  
*Now, now you two. There's enough of Minako to go around.  
Really! There's no point in fighting over me!*  
  
"No way," said Seiya, backing away from her. "You're on   
your own with this one." Taiki nodded his head in agreement.  
  
*Taiki-kun! Seiya-kun! Where are you going with   
Itamae-san?!*  
  
*ZAT IZ MONSIEUR _CHEF_ YOU IMPERTENENT GIRHL!*  
  
*No! Come back!*  
  
*AHAHAHAHAHA!! COM, MY COMRAHDES... LET US DWINHK TO   
OUR... FUHTURES! AH SERHVE ONLHY ZE BEHST WINE.*  
  
Minako sighed and walked through the door.  
  
"Well," said Mariko, and smiled to Taiki. "Ready to go?  
The hives can't hold much more than what's there already."  
  
Taiki swallowed, nodded his head, and was rendered a   
walking ghoul when she took his hand and led him down a trail,   
out of sight.   
  
The only ones left were San and Seiya. The blue haired   
boy scowled at the idol, and Seiya put on his shades on for extra  
defense.  
  
"So..." Seiya said, and flushed as the boy just looked at  
him. Talk about unnerving! Yeesh.  
  
"Let's just get this over with," said San, and started to  
walk down the trail without giving the boy a second's thought.  
  
"Hey!" shouted Seiya and raced to get beside the walking   
pile of grudge. "Look, I think we got on the wrong start and--"  
  
"There's nothing to say," said San. "I already know what  
you are--"  
  
"You do?"  
  
San looked over at the wide-eyed Seiya. "Of course.   
It's seeping out of your pores--"  
  
"Then you understand how tired we are," said Seiya,   
putting his hand on San's shoulder. San stood rigid, and turned  
around to look at the pained boy.  
  
"I'd rather you didn't touch me," said San, and brushed   
Seiya's hand off... not as harshly as he had intended, which   
surprised him. Seiya only shrugged.  
  
"That's understandable. I mean a guy like you must not   
get a lot of PDAs everyday. Maybe I could give you a few tips-"  
  
"No," said San waving him off. "I don't want to hear   
about it."  
  
Seiya chuckled, and the angry boy found a smile forming   
on his lips. Damn, it was hard to stay mad when somebody this   
charismatic was actually making an effort. And then Seiya opened  
his mouth.  
  
"So, what's up with you and Mariko? Are you two going out  
or something, 'cause you two seem pretty tight."  
  
San's eyes glinted a deep amber, and Seiya backed away.   
"We aren't 'together'. We're just a duo."  
  
"Singing?"  
  
"Not really..." He winced just thinking about the last   
time she had dragged him to the Karaoke bar in town.  
  
"Fighters of crime?"  
  
"...You could say that."  
  
"Both?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Does she ever talk about three incredibly sexy women who  
used to hang around her a lot?"  
  
"..."  
  
"Cause if she hasn't, would you mind if I--"  
  
A low growl was heard, and Seiya shut his mouth quickly,   
realizing he was digging his own grave.  
  
"I already told you not to touch her--"  
  
"But you--"  
  
"She's already taken."  
  
"Really? Who--"  
  
"He's not here."   
  
"If I know anything about this world," muttered Seiya.   
"Unseen boyfriends never come back."  
  
San's face darkened. "That doesn't mean you can touch   
her."  
  
"What does 'touch' mean specifically?" Another growl was  
heard. "Okay! Okay! I get the idea."  
  
There was a silence.  
  
"Does she like olives?"  
  
"Look--"  
  
"I'm joking!"  
  
The Jeep suddenly turned into view, and San opened the   
door to the driver's side.  
  
"I thought we were doing a little yard work," said Seiya   
eyeing the tools in the back.  
  
"We are," said San. "About fifty acres of it."  
  
"Green acres?"  
  
"Yeah," said San, raising an eyebrow and missing the pun.  
Seiya sighed and shook his head in amusement. "What?"  
  
"Man, you have been DEPRIVED. So uptight. Wait, a second.  
I have just the thing."  
  
Out of his jeans pocket, he pulled out an audio tape,   
tapping it with a finger. Hopping into the car, he buckled his   
seat and inserted the tape, adjusting the volume to be about   
eardrum bursting level.  
  
1960's American farm music immediately followed.  
  
"GREEN ACRES IS THE PLACE TO BE!" sang Seiya at the top   
of his lungs as San revved up the car and drove down the trail.  
  
*This is going to be a long, long day.*  
  
******  
  
"You want to know the saddest thing?"  
  
"S-sure."  
  
"The reason why honey bees die after one sting is because  
the stinger gets lodged into the skin, and when the poor thing   
tries to pull it out, the stinger gets ripped off the body along  
with its entrails..."  
  
"H-how terrible!" Taiki had a hard time trying not to   
throw up. Mariko smiled sweetly at his compassionate face, and   
squeezed his hand. They crossed over a hill, and she pointed to  
a small shed in the distance, beaming as if it was her very own   
mansion made of solid gold.  
  
"That's where the suits and equipment are... I'm not sure if we   
have gear in your size, you're so tall! But we'll make do."  
  
"What do you mean, 'we'll make do'?"  
  
"Well... you'll see..."  
  
******  
  
This was an outrage! A complete desecration of everything  
moral and good. This was insane, completely nuts. Hell, this   
was DISGUSTING.  
  
"You're doing well, my boy. Just keep cleaning, and when  
you're done I'll hand you buckets to feed them."  
  
Yaten shot a glare at the old man as Furui smiled, sipped  
a glass of lemonade, and read his manga. This was NOT at all what  
Yaten had planned, his soft and delicate hands gloved in icky   
cheap plastic and scraping out falcon poo from the floor. By God,  
he was even sweating!  
  
*Maybe muscles are a good thing,* he thought. *If you   
live on a hick farm.*  
  
Which was what this place was. A _HICK FARM_. A retreat  
for troubled souls. Riiiight. Probably just a cover because a   
big corporation was trying to buy the house and they needed extra  
cash to keep the stupid place.  
  
Sighing in relief, he stood up, not daring to wipe his   
sweaty forehead with his sleeve. Furui moved in next to him and  
nodded his head.  
  
"Very good! Couldn't have done better myself."  
  
"Yeah, right," muttered Yaten.   
  
"And here's the food."  
  
Yaten paled considerably as Furui held out a bucket full  
of mouse carcasses, smiled, and slapped the poor boy on the back.  
  
"Tell me when you're through. I'm hungry!"  
  
*Well, I'm not,* thought Yaten as the smell of dead bodies  
wafted to his nose. He stared at the hooded birds, and thought   
about giving them the finger before deciding against it.  
  
"It's too dirty to be shown."   
  
His finger, not the act.   
  
******  
  
"NOW, YU SHALL BOYWILL ZE WATEHR WYLE AH SHAHLL CUHT ZE   
KRAHB, YU UNDEHRSTAND, OUI? AFTEHR ZAT, YU MUHST SLYHCE ZE   
CHAHVES LIKE SO, AND ZEN YOU WILL TOSS ZE SALAD WITH EFFORHTLESS   
GRACE. EEF EET EES NOHT EFFORHTLESS, ZEN THE HOHLE ZING...   
WILBEERUIHNED! ZE KRAHB MUHST NOHT BEH SPOIHLED, OHR AH WIL   
HAHVE YUR HEHD!"  
  
"Got it, got it," reassured Minako, turned to the stove,  
and turned on the burner, humming with satisfaction as the water  
began to simmer.  
  
"AH AHM WAIHTING!"  
  
"What?!" Minako turned around to see the chef tapping   
his foot aggravatingly, hands on hips and brow furrowed in   
impatience. "But you just told me what to do! You can't possibly  
be done cutting!"  
  
"AH AHM AY MAHSTER CHEF, YOU LEETLE NIHT-WHIHT!   
WHATDOYOUTAKEMEFOR?! YU AHRE TOO SLOHW!"  
  
"I am not!"  
  
"YU AH TU!"  
  
"Am not!"  
  
"AH TU!"  
  
"Am not!"  
  
"ZE WATEHR! ZE WATEHR!"  
  
"Oops!" she cried, and turned around to see the water   
overflowing onto the stove, the fire hissing as droplets plunked  
onto the flames. She dashed over, turning the fire down.  
  
"NUH NUH NUH! MOOVE ZE PAHN! ZE PAHN!"   
  
She grabbed the handle and shrieked as it burned her hands. The  
chef shouted in rage, and finally she grabbed a kitchen towel,   
holding the handle gingerly, and moved it to another burner,   
slopping water all over the floor.  
  
"ZE RAHG! ZE RAHG EES BURHNING!"  
  
And sure enough, it was. Minako held the flaming towel   
in front of her, screaming in panic, while the chef shouted at   
her. She flailed the towel around, trying to make the flame   
disappear, only to have the woman made wind feed the flames. The  
chef screamed when one side of his carefully oiled moustache   
ignited when she spun it close to him.  
  
Finally, after mayhem, flailing, jumping onto tables and  
freaking the chickens out, she dumped it into the large pot of   
water.  
  
"WHAHT AHRE YU DOING?!"  
  
"Stopping the fire!"  
  
"YU HAHVE RUIHNED ZE WAHTER! NAHW ZE TAHSTE WIL BEE  
TAIHNTED! AH CAHNNOT WURK WIHTH SUHCH LIHQUID!"  
  
"Well, I'm not doing it again!"  
  
They glared at each other, and the chef pointed with his  
cleaver to the cutting board.  
  
"SLYHCE ZE CHAVHES!"  
  
Minako moved to the cutting board and held up a knife,   
and began to cut the pile of chives in front of her.  
  
"WHAHT AHRE YU DOING!"  
  
"I'm slicing the chives!"  
  
"NUT WIS MY BEHST KNAHFE!"  
  
Minako looked down at the knife in her hand, and back to   
the fuming man, who grabbed it from her, and placed a smaller one  
in her hand.  
  
"AHND DU NOHT SLYHCE IT ZAT WAY!"  
  
"I'll slice it the way I want it!"  
  
"YU WIL NOT!"  
  
"I will to!"  
  
"WIL NOT!"  
  
"Will too!"  
  
"WIL NOT!"  
  
Minako scowled at him, and began cutting away with evil   
satisfaction, watching as the chef's face turned a beet red. The  
man huffed and turned back to pot, dumping it out, and adding   
fresh water.  
  
Hey, this was kind of fun. Slicing chives, anyway.   
Knives were awesome, with the cool blade sliding against the wood,  
the green strips seeming to float away after they were severed.   
There was a peace that came over her, a methodical silence, a   
chance for meditation...  
  
"AH AHM WAIHTING!"  
  
"What?! But you were just boiling the water!"  
  
"DU YU THINK I AHM AHS SLOW AHS YU?!"  
  
"I'm not slow!"  
  
"YU AHRE TU!"  
  
"Am not!"  
  
"AHRE TU!"  
  
"Am not!"  
  
"JUHST FINIHSH!"  
  
"Fine!" She cut the rest of the chives as fast as she   
could, and shoved the cutting board at him. He grabbed it out of  
her hands harshly, and set the board on the table.  
  
"NOHW TOSS ZE SALAHD!"  
  
"Iie!"  
  
"OUI!"  
  
"Iie!"  
  
"OUI!"  
  
"Iie!"  
  
"DU IT NOHW!"  
  
She shot him a glare and moved over to the salad, staring  
at the big wooden bowl, and pretended to role up her sleeves.  
  
"A future legendary idol such as I, Aino Minako, shouldn't  
have to toss salad!"  
  
"AHND AH FORHMER LEGENHDARY CHEF SUCH AHS _MOI_, MONSIEUR  
CHEF, SHOULD NOHT HAHVE TO BEH UNNAPRECIATED IN ZE MIDDHLE OF   
_NOWHEHRE_!"  
  
Minako heard a sniffle, and turned around to stare at the  
chef started bawling into the wet rag he had fished out of the   
water.  
  
"A-anou... are you okay?"  
  
"UV COURHSE N-N-N-NOOOOHT!"  
  
Well, this was interesting... Minako's heart ached as she  
watched the broken man weep into the already sopping wet cloth.  
  
*No way! Nobody should be that sad! Don't worry,  
Minako-sama will take away all your sorrows!*  
  
"Um... do you want to talk about it?"  
  
"NUH, AH DU NOHT WAHNT TO TAHLK ABOUT IT!"  
  
He grabbed her by the shoulders, tears coming from his   
eyes like waterfalls.  
  
"WHO WOULD HAHVE THOUGHT THAHT YOUR CAREEHR WOULD  
BE RUIHNED BY A STUPIHD, LEETLE CONTEST!"  
  
"Contest? Did you enter one, or did you gamble?"  
  
The man stopped crying, and carefully looked around the   
room before pulling up a chair and sitting down. His voice   
lowered, bringing Minako closer to him, and the room was as   
silent as a starless night as the man told his tale of woe.  
  
"...Bohth. Yu seeh, Ah wahs invited to bee ohn Ihron   
Chef ohne dahy..."  
  
******  
  
"Hey, this fits me fine." Taiki looked down at the bee   
suit carefully. Sleeves were just the right length, pant legs   
were the right size, not too tight...  
  
"It's too tight."  
  
"Really?" He turned around to watch as Mariko frowned at  
the fit. He could see that her suit was slightly baggier on her   
than it was on him.  
  
"It's tight enough that you could get stung easily."  
  
"R-really?" He swallowed. "Then maybe I shouldn't go out  
there..."  
  
"No way! You said you wanted to go out there, right?   
It's only if you don't panic. If you show fear or act   
aggressively, they'll only try to protect the hive. I've been to  
one of your concerts, and I know..."  
  
"...Know what?"  
  
"I know that if danger ever comes your way, you face it   
as if you didn't care about the outcome... and that's why you will  
always be victorious, because you don't let your fears take hold  
of you. There is something that drives you, that I can't place   
my finger on.. but I do know that you are not afraid of death...   
such a sadness in your eyes..."  
  
They stared at each other, and Taiki walked closer to her, could  
feel her move closer to him, could sense her sweetness drifting   
towards him, so open, so gentle, so free.  
  
"Mariko..."  
  
"...Yes?" Her lips parted slightly, and her eyes closed  
briefly, before looking deep into his. Taiki wet his lips before  
taking her delicate hand, and moved to her ear, his speaking lips  
fluttering against her skin, sending shivers up her spine.   
  
He moved away suddenly, and watched her intently. She   
finally realized he had asked her a question, and the words he   
had whispered to her finally registered, sending her eyes wide.   
  
"What do you think of leather bikinis?"  
  
******  
  
Can't... go... on...  
  
Seiya dragged his numb feet down the trail, with one bag  
of extremely heavy tools in one hand, and another full of heavy  
branches back to the Jeep. He still didn't understand why a   
forest had to be pruned and taken care of. Especially by him.   
He wasn't exactly partial to climbing trees with huge sharp   
clippers and chopping off branches that were JUST fine before San  
said they had to go. He wasn't looking exactly... eloquent, and  
damnit, his... sensitive areas were getting VERY uncomfortable.  
  
The smug little dog boy was having fun ordering a   
gorgeous teen idol around, wasn't he?  
  
*It's not a natural forest,* was all San had said, but the  
ever mysterious boy only fed to his curiosity. Looked pretty   
natural to him.  
  
Suddenly the scent of olives wafted towards him, and he   
hear could a voice, calling out to him.  
  
"...Fighter..."  
  
"Princess?" Dropping the bags he spun around, trying to  
catch the direction from where the voice had sounded from.   
"Princess... answer me!"  
  
"...Fighter..."  
  
He ran off the path into the trees.  
  
"What are you doing?!" shouted San. Seiya ignored him,   
and raced through, ignoring the pain of the scratches and slaps   
from the twigs and branches.  
  
Seiya burst through a group of bushes and searched for a   
woman... a woman with the scent of olives, and found none.  
  
"Kakyuu!" There was silence. Seiya hung his head, hiding  
the tears of frustration that welled up in his eyes. *I'm going  
absolutely insane.*  
  
Once he got his breath, he stood back up straight and   
looked at his surroundings, ogling at the two huge statues facing  
each other in the middle of the secret meadow.   
  
"Man, they're gorgeous..."  
  
He walked to one, peering at the angel's face closely,   
its closed eyelids seemingly paper thin, almost real, and Seiya   
watched with morbid fascination as they seemed to tremble, as if  
trying to open.  
  
"DON'T TOUCH IT!" screamed San, and shoved Seiya to the   
ground, one foot digging into Seiya's hand, and another digging   
into his face.  
  
"MFGHT..."  
  
"Do you realize what you could have done?!"  
  
"Yu noe, ziz kyndah herts..."  
  
San stepped off of Seiya, and stood in front of the statue  
and bowed deeply to it.  
  
"We apologize, for this... boy who was trying to disturb   
you. We honor and are deeply grateful for your sacrifice to   
protect this clearing."  
  
Seiya rose an eyebrow, and rolled to his feet. "Gets a   
little crazy around here, doesn't it?"  
  
"You have NO idea," said San, and walked around the   
statue, making sure nothing had been disturbed. Seiya nursed his  
throbbing hand, but forgot about it when he saw the Crack in   
between the statues.  
  
"Whoa! What's this?" He peered down at the rods  
perpendicular to the opening, and caught himself beginning to   
nudge one with his toe.  
  
San's eyes created a crystal gleam as he bowed his head   
and sighed. He moved next to Seiya, staring at the Crack with a   
hatred Seiya couldn't have thought possible.  
  
"They say this is a crack that leads straight into Hell.  
For centuries Furui-sama's bloodline has taken care of the Crack  
and the forest around it, making sure that there is balance and  
order 360 degrees around the crack and fifty acres around it.   
Balance is the only way to control the chaos that is inside."  
  
"Huh. You believe this thing actually leads to Hell?"  
  
San's eyes seemed to change into a deep, deep red.  
  
"You can't believe the things I've seen that have climbed  
out of the crack... it's... it's-"  
  
"Absolutely revolting?"  
  
"To put it mildly, yes."  
  
"Are you sure you weren't taking something when you were  
here?"  
  
San growled, and Seiya laughed it off. "O-okay! Just   
asking! What about these babes?"  
  
He looked at the statues, and blinked when he thought he  
saw a mouth twitch on one of them.  
  
"The Tenshi no Ishi, twin angels agreed to help us guard  
it. Without their power, we would be lost by now. If they're   
moved even a MILLIMETER... the crack will open all the way."  
  
Seiya looked back to the angel statue he had almost   
touched. Angels of stone... Tenshi no Ishi...  
  
"The Crack is hard to handle, though," said San. "And   
their power has weakened since they've come here. We've had to   
work extra hard this year to keep this thing under control. And  
it seems that lately, the forest is growing much faster than   
usual... and with all the studying Mariko-chan has to do--"  
  
"You're the man to do it."  
  
"Unfortunately, yes."  
  
"Seems like I'M the one who's doing it now."  
  
"Hey, I've been working this job for over--" San stopped  
himself, and looked to Seiya with a hesitant smile.  
  
"Looks like all of us have our secrets."  
  
"Let's just say we all help around here to make the world  
a better place..."  
  
"FOR YOU AND FOR ME AND THE ENTIRE HUMAN RACE!" Seiya   
whipped out another tape, and gave a sharp howl, grabbing his   
crotch and did a moon walk back into the bushes. "See you in the  
car! Come meet Michael Jackson!"  
  
San sighed. And the angel's eyes opened. The other   
statue farther from him chuckled.  
  
"He's annoying," said San. "Completely annoying."  
  
"But funny," said the farther statue. " I haven't  
laughed in what... over a century wouldn't you say, Ishi? Not   
since Furui-kun retired."  
  
"He may be funny, Tenshi-sama," said San. "But he has   
the shortest attention span I've ever seen."  
  
The other statue smiled. "What amuses me is the fact he  
thinks we're women."  
  
"The most beautiful men on the planet."  
  
"The silver haired boy would beg to differ," said Ishi.   
"Yaten Kou, isn't it?"  
  
"You forget they aren't even really men."  
  
"Lighten up, San. Try acting your age for once."  
  
"I do." San turned to Tenshi and grinned his lopsided   
grin. Ishi smiled and rolled his eyes.  
  
"Well, then maybe you should try acting YOUNGER than you  
really are. Mariko-chan would appreciate it, I think."  
  
San turned his gaze away.   
  
"Mariko's become too attatched to me."  
  
"I'd call it a good thing, wouldn't you, Ishi?"  
  
"Most assuredly," the other angel said.  
  
"It isn't right," San asserted. "She's in love with   
Oukami-oujii."  
  
"Your master would want you to be happy."  
  
San closed his eyes, and moaned mournfully.  
  
"Um. Wrong thing to say. Sorry."  
  
"It would break her heart if she found out the wolf   
prince died. She cares for you so much, and she's been waiting  
so long for him."  
  
"And she will continue to wait," the other angel added.  
"Unless you tell her truth, and save her the agony."  
  
"We've kept it from her for so long! What would happen   
if I told her he had died?!"  
  
"She's starting to suspect he has come in a different   
form, ne?"  
  
"Her heart is edging towards the intelligent one."  
  
"Are you kidding me?!" cried the other angel. "Him?! I  
say the one with the black hair."  
  
"You'll lose your chance soon, San."  
  
San hung his head. "She sees my master in him. She sees  
a brother in me. There is no way to change that."  
  
"You underestimate her heart, my boy."  
  
"You underestimate yourself too." Ishi met eyes with   
San. "We haven't thanked you for your service."  
  
"Service?" San shook his head. "I love doing it. It   
makes me feel good knowing that I have a hand in keeping this   
planet alive... I-it's the least I can do for what they've   
done... since..."  
  
"Well, we appreciate you and Mariko's hard work. God   
knows we could never have done it without you. We don't even   
think the Seal would have held for a YEAR even if it had been  
perfect."  
  
"Do you know how long we have?"  
  
"The Shadows have been gathering energy... something big  
will happen soon. Otherwise the three would not have been sent   
here. And that girl..."  
  
"Aino Minako," reminded Ishi to his brother. "She's a   
fighsty one."  
  
"The silver haired one notices her, all right."  
  
"He isn't worth it," said San. "They'll be gone soon.  
They won't return."  
  
"You don't know that."  
  
"You're right," said San. "But I can hope, can't I?  
Outsiders have always been a problem for me."  
  
"Not every Outsider is Galaxia, San."  
  
"Besides, you and the funny guy seem to be chumming it up.  
Eh? Am I right?"  
  
"He has the charisma of the prince. As the other has the  
intelligence of him... and the other, the beauty of him."  
  
"The prince was perfect," said San.  
  
"Too bad he died."  
  
San growled, more at himself than the other two.  
  
"You might actually be surprised what you find out about  
them. You may be psychic, but your emotions get in the way of   
finding the full truth."  
  
"If only I knew why in God's name Minako is with them."  
  
"Patience, my boy. Everything will be revealed in due   
course."  
  
"It better..."  
  
"Anyways, tell Furui to come see us sometime. He's never  
kept in touch since he retired and put you in charge."  
  
"Been what... over a century, wouldn't you say?"  
  
"And have some fun... San-san."  
  
The two statues burst out laughing, and San bid farewell,  
walking away. When he reached the Jeep, Seiya turned to him and  
smiled.  
  
"Where've you been, man?"  
  
"I had to take care of a few things."  
  
They met eyes.  
  
*Yes... so much like the wolf prince... it's amazing. Is  
the past coming back to haunt me? What am I supposed to do now?*  
  
Seiya shrugged, inserted the tape, and pressed play, his  
soul in bliss as they drove down the path listening to Michael   
Jackson.   
  
"I thought we would commemorate our special bonding with  
Thriller! Nice, huh? I think it fits the atmosphere."   
  
*I won't kill another prince... I won't.*  
  
******  
  
END PART 2A  
  
******  
  
NOTES: I realize now, that unwittingly, I have created  
new characters. This always happens! SO! New disclaimer.  
  
I OWN EVERYTHING WRITTEN IN THIS FIC EXCEPT FOR JAPAN,   
TOKYO, THINGS FROM SAILOR MOON, RANMA 1/2... and maybe THE   
LITTLE MERMAID (Ze chef is familiar, no?)... YOU TAKE THEM,   
I WILL KNOW! REMEMBER THE TRACKING DEVICES AND CHEESEY   
NUCLEAR WEAPONS? SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO USE THE PLACES, THE   
LEGENDS, THE CHARACTERS, THE TRACKING DEVICES OR THE NUCLEAR  
WEAPONS, WHICH BELONG TO ME... ASK.  
  
Ah yes, and I did not make Michael Jackson or Green Acres   
up. They are REAL, oddly enough.  
  
And yes, I do realize NONE of this is tied together   
chronologically.  
  
And YES, I know Monsieur Chef would not be speaking English  
when talking to Minako. But can you really imagine him   
saying, "Iie Iie Iie" instead of "NUH NUH NUH"?  
  
And to those Seiya fans who don't like my interpretation of  
him... puu on you. Seiya likes to be goofy and aloof   
sometimes. He needs a break from his Usagi-woes and   
Kakyuu-gagas, don't you, Seiya-mimi? ::holds his head and   
shakes it "yes" as he roles his eyes::  
  
Ah! I need to get over my love of NOTES. Take care, minna!  
  
Party on, Garth! 


	5. Day 1: Part 2B

Retreat into Hell  
By Sarah-chan  
Part 2B  
  
Notes: Triple negatives are fun. :P Oh, and all thoughts on   
Iron Chef are in the point of view of Monsieur Chef. This is not  
how I feel. Iron Chef is shibby! It rocks!  
  
But to Monsieur Chef it is pure evil.  
  
******  
  
Only when it was four in the morning did Nezu realize she  
had been going in the opposite direction. Chicken trucks made   
more progress than they let on.  
  
So now, she was immersed in hay, trying to cover her face  
with a handkerchief to keep her allergies from kicking up. It   
wasn't working, and along with this agony, she knew a phone call  
was in due.  
  
Which was why she wasn't surprised when the black   
telephone appeared next to her.  
  
******  
  
"Come on, let's go." Yaten tugged at the reins of the   
horse grazing in the field, only to be ignored by the animal.   
This was new... nobody had never not responded to him before.   
This... this was unacceptable. "Hey, you. I said, 'let's go'."  
  
He yanked the reins again, careful to stay out of the way  
of the stallion's hoofs. Yaten had refused to ride it, afraid   
that if he fell off his million-dollar face would not be even   
worth a cent, and THAT meant the only thing left in his life was  
enough time to commit suicide.  
  
He didn't have any idea why he was even agreeing to do   
any of this for the old man. He just found himself doing it,   
which sucked, because griping didn't do a damn thing except make  
him feel better in a pessimistic kind of way. And when he was   
feeling better in a pessimistic kind of way, optimism seemed like  
a stupid illusion with no point, and those who were optimistic   
were stupid and had no point to their life, which meant he was   
better than them. And if he was better than them, then   
negativity was far superior than positiveness.  
  
Yaten WOULD be feeling superior right now if it wasn't   
for the fact the stallion was being a butt monkey. That meant   
the dumb animal was in a pessimistic mood, and THAT meant they   
were equal, and that was not a good thing. No one, least of all  
a stupid horse, should be equal to Yaten Kou!  
  
"Listen to me! Move!"  
  
The stallion neighed, tossing its head as if in a nod,   
and smiling with satisfaction Yaten began to walk back towards   
the stables. The only problem was the horse wasn't moving with   
him. In fact, it wasn't moving at all.   
  
Yaten turned on the horse and jabbed a finger in its  
direction. "You. Will. Obey."  
  
The horse merely sneezed, sending a wave of snot to crash  
into Yaten's face. There was a silence as Yaten delicately wiped  
the disgusting gunk from eyes and mouth, his eyebrows raised in   
mild surprise. The horse snickered, and Yaten's little friends   
came to his aid.  
  
"Oh! You poor thing! Horse snot stains!" cried the   
little Yaten on his right shoulder, adjusting her halo and Gucci  
robes.  
  
"I say kill it," said the vixen Yaten on his left   
shoulder, making sure nothing was out of place in her blood red   
Versaci mini bikini. "The dumb thing might as well be put out of  
its misery."  
  
"That's a horrible thing to say!" cried Angel Yaten.  
"Completely inhumane! How could you think of such a thing?"  
  
"Hey," said the vixen as she leaned into Yaten's ear,   
ignoring the angel. "We're experienced in this. No biggy.   
You're a Sailor soldier, you've killed more than your share of   
living beings."  
  
"That was in SELF DEFENSE," sobbed the angel. "You've   
never killed anything out of blood lust!"  
  
"But it would feel SO good right now, wouldn't it?"  
  
Yaten's eyes narrowed as the stallion's seemed to glow a  
bright red. Evil creature. Evil.  
  
"Who ruined your Yumero Suzume shirt? Eh? Eh?"  
  
His... shirt... his Yumero Suzume shirt made from a pale  
pale green that could only be detected next to white. This shirt  
he had coddled so, had washed with his OWN hands, made sure not a  
drop of WATER hit it.  
  
What was he THINKING when he wore this? Wait... he   
hadn't been thinking. All his thoughts had been absorbed by...  
  
"There we go," said the vixen. "SHE'S the one to blame.  
SHE made you wear that shirt."  
  
"I HATE HER! I HATE HER!"  
  
He dragged his snotty fingers through his snotty hair in  
rage and started hopping around, venting his anger, circling the  
puzzled horse. Anybody watching would have thought he was   
dancing for a paegan sacrificial ceremony... which in a way he   
was.  
  
Unfortunately, he wasn't looking where he was going and   
stepped on something squishy. Yaten stopped cold.  
  
"Oh no," gasped the angel.  
  
Something squishy... something smelly... something on his  
new shoes.  
  
"Um..." said the vixen. "This is where we'll be going   
now."  
  
"Yup. Bye!"  
  
And they were gone.  
  
"I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!!" he screamed, and lunged  
at the horse, but the horse whinnied and began to gallop down the  
trail toward the open stables, leaving Yaten to grasp at air and  
fall to the hard, mushy ground.  
  
A day owl hooted as if to mock him. Yaten pressed his   
lips together firmly so as not make a sound. Lying there on the  
ground, hair full of icky nose gel, face dirty, shirt ruined,   
shoes ruined, pants ruined, Yaten was in the worst of pessimistic  
moods.  
  
Which meant he was superior.  
  
******  
  
"...What do you think of leather bikinis?"  
  
Mariko blushed furiously, and lowered her head before   
asking, "You didn't go into my room when I wasn't there, did   
you?"  
  
Taiki blinked. "No! I would never violate the privacy   
of a lady's chambers. Never."  
  
Mariko sighed in relief, and smiled briefly before  
frowning. "Then why are you asking?"  
  
It was Taiki's turn to blush once he realized she had NO  
idea what she was talking about.  
  
"N-no reason..."  
  
"You don't... wear--"  
  
"What?!" He started giggling hysterically. "Me?   
SEIYA'S the one who wears leather."  
  
"Seiya? Really?"  
  
"I swear to you it's the truth."  
  
"Really... I never would have guessed..."  
  
"I... I was just wondering because Seiya seemed pretty   
interested... and if, well, anything were to happen, you'd have   
to know, because, obviously, this is a very... delicate   
situation."  
  
"He wears... leather bikinis."  
  
"Interesting, isn't it?"  
  
"Mm." There was a silence as she frowned for a few   
moments. Finally she looked outside and remembered their  
situation. "Oh! The bees! Come on, we have to work quickly.   
We only have a couple hours until our break."  
  
"A couple... hours?"  
  
"I know," she said. "Not a lot of time. Come on, let's  
get going."  
  
Taiki groaned as Mariko dragged him out of the little   
shed and towards his impending doom.  
  
******  
  
MONSIEUR CHEF'S STORY... WITHOUT THE ANNOYING LINGUISTICS.  
  
You see, I am a master chef, a chef known throughout the  
world (besides all you uncultured children) for being able to   
cook with anything and everything.  
  
You want me to cook wood stew? I have four recipes. You  
want me to make you caterpillar pasta? I've done it a thousand   
times. Let's not get into the fact that I can create the exact   
metallic taste of metal out of a little flour and vinegar.  
  
So, you see it was inevitable that Iron Chef would call   
and invite me to be on the International contest. I was honored  
and annoyed at the same time. They should have invited me   
sooner. I thought maybe they were just looking into my   
background, trying to find my one weakness. And, as it turned   
out, they had. I have but one weakness. One. And I had kept it  
hidden from the world for as long as I could remember until that  
one day.  
  
So I came to Japan. I am a risk taker at heart, you see.  
This show would be nothing at all. It would be too boring. I   
would be done in minutes. It would be effortless. I needed   
excitement.  
  
I was to compete against Sakai. This would be even   
easier, since he was the chef who specializes in French cuisine.  
Ha. To think they could believe ANY of them could beat me, least  
of all Sakai. How foolish they are. Ha. I laugh at them even   
now. Ha. Ha ha.  
  
So I bet all my savings on this contest, in favor of  
myself, of course... I was a little drunk, so sue me. Wait,  
I take that back.  
  
You must know, I was not in my right mind that next  
morning. I had a hang over. Damn Japanese alcohol. I was not   
in my prime. But that does not matter. Even if I was dying of a  
terrible disease that dissolved my bones, I could win this match  
with BOTH hands tied behind my back, and using only my kneepits.  
Believe me, kneepits are very useful things.  
  
The lights were a little too bright. That was nothing.  
I could win blind. And maybe the color scheme gave me a   
headache. That was nothing. I could win even if I was having a  
seizure. So the MC was making me nauseous with his glittering   
dressing gown. That was nothing. I could win even if I was   
vomiting out my intestines. All this was nothing.  
  
What was not nothing was the secret ingredient. Those   
bastards. They cheated! They used my one weakness. They used   
my Chu-chus.  
  
You see, I am quite fond of the snail, of the Chu-chu. I  
am captivated by its shell, by the way it moves, by the trail of  
wet slime it makes as it goes from point A to point B. You think  
me insane. I think me passionate.  
  
You can imagine my surprise when that naesiating disco   
ball full of little snails came lowering down in front of me. My  
little babies! My children! You think I am capable of murder?  
  
I did the one thing humane. I rescued them. I grabbed   
the disco ball and made a dash to the exit. Those puny guards   
were no match for Monsieur Chef! I carried them with me out of   
the building.  
  
So I released them. How was I to know they were not fast  
enough to dodge oncoming cars? Chu-chus are super-human. They   
have special powers. Perhaps they were too mortified at the   
prospect of people wanting to eat them to use their magic powers.  
  
It was tragic. It was a disaster. I will never forgive  
myself for my folly. All those sweet, innocent snails dashed on  
the streets of Tokyo. It was only until the old fart told me   
they were dead to begin with that I had any peace, and it took   
weeks for me to believe I had not committed homicide.  
  
I lost the bet. I had nothing. The show sued me on   
grounds of sabotage and not fulfilling the contract. I then had  
even less.  
  
I was a broken man. I was homeless. My wife left me for  
the animal rights activist down the street. Ha. He only uses   
his job as a way to get women. I laugh at him. Ha ha.  
  
I did not want to face my country. I was a disgrace. So  
I stayed in Japan. And the old fart took me in. I will never   
forget his hospitality, but I cannot stand him. He does not   
appreciate me.  
  
All those Chu-chus... what a terrible, tragic nightmare.  
  
*  
  
"So THAT'S why it was a rerun last month."  
  
"Oui."  
  
"Wow."  
  
"Oui."  
  
"You... don't happen to keep one around do you?"  
  
"In facht, I du."  
  
Minako was not prepared to have a slug immediately fill  
her vision. So she did the one thing she could think of. She   
screamed, and slapped the thing away from her.  
  
Soft chamber music seemed to fill the room as the little  
Chu-chu flew in mid air towards the direction of the stove. Time  
slowed down. Minako's eyes went wide.  
  
"NOOOOOOOOO!" Monsieur Chef pummeled towards the stove.  
But it was too late. The Chu-chu plopped right into the boiling  
water. Monsieur Chef fell to his knees. Minako knew this was   
her last day on Earth.  
  
She ran to the water, grabbed a large wooden spoon and   
tried fishing out the shelled slug, but with the rolling water,   
it was impossible to see.  
  
She turned off the heat, and finally, she could see the  
small brown shape amongst the red. Was there enough time? She   
brought the snail up out of the water, and dropped it into   
Monsieur Chef's hands.  
  
"Chu-chu! Breathe! Breathe!"  
  
Tears misted her eyes. If only Usagi had been here. She  
could have at least henshined and healed the poor thing. Minako  
wouldn't have been able to do anything. That's right. At least  
Usagi could fix things. Minako only destroyed.  
  
"I'm so sorry," she whispered as Monsieur Chef gave  
the poor thing CPR. "Truly... I didn't mean..."  
  
"MAH BABY!!" He looked up at her, his cheeks lined with  
tears... and yet he was smiling. He was beaming. "MY CHU-CHU ES  
ALIHVE!"  
  
"Wha-what?"  
  
"AYHE TOHLD YU CHU-CHUS HAHVE MAHGIC POWERS!"  
  
"Right..." She sighed. "Look, I am SO sorry about what  
happened. I didn't know..."  
  
His eyes turned to steel. Minako shut her mouth.  
  
******  
  
"So?"  
  
"So what?"  
  
"What do you think?"  
  
"About the Beegees?"  
  
"Yeah, man! Can't you just groove to this?"  
  
"Um... I guess."  
  
"You are such a party pooper."  
  
"Sorry."  
  
Seiya rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation. "You   
don't have ANY fun, do you?"  
  
"What? Of course I do."  
  
"I don't think so."  
  
"Look," San said, narrowing his eyes. "I don't need YOU  
telling whether or not I can groove to the Beegees."  
  
"Well, what can you groove to?"  
  
San was silent for a moment before popping out the tape,  
inserting another, and pressing play. Seiya's eyes bulged out of  
their sockets.  
  
"You think 'Rubber Ducky' is groove worthy?!"  
  
San turned a shade of bright bright red.  
  
"H-How did this get here? I don't know what this is! It  
has to be one of Mariko's when she was a kid."  
  
He started to pop the tape out, but Seiya stopped him,   
and started to dance in his seat, flapping his arms.  
  
"No way! This rocks! Come on, sing with me, San!"  
  
"..."  
  
"Rubber Ducky, you're the ONE!   
You make bath time  
Lots of FUN!"  
  
"...Rubber Ducky, your my very best friend...   
it's true! Rubber Ducky...   
I..."  
  
"LOVE..."  
  
"YOU!"  
  
The song moved on to "It's Not Easy Being Green", and San  
had to grin at Seiya's antics.  
  
"Hey, where'd you get those fangs?"  
  
"These?" He ran his tongue over them, and shrugged.   
"I've always had these."  
  
"Makes you look..." San paled as Seiya frowned, trying   
to find the right word. A light bulb went off and he snapped his  
fingers. "I know! It makes you look wolf-ish!"  
  
"Wool fish?"  
  
Seiya shook his head groaning. "We REALLY need to work   
on your sense of humor. That was just bad."  
  
San chuckled.  
  
"What IS it about you?" San flushed as Seiya peered at   
him. "I mean, one minute you're all Prince Charming, and then   
you're Iceman from Top Gun, threatening everybody if you lay a   
hand on your 'partner'--"  
  
"Seiya, that's enough."  
  
"Do you just hate other guys?"  
  
"I hate those whose lives are centered around lies."  
  
Seiya was quiet for a moment.  
  
"Hate is such a harsh word."  
  
San growled.  
  
"And how do your eyes change color like that?"  
  
San looked in the rear view mirror. "It has to do with   
my mood."  
  
"I want a pair of mood eyes."  
  
"It sucks when you're trying to conceal your emotions."  
  
"Like when you don't want to admit you like me?"  
  
San was quiet.  
  
"Come on... admit it. You like me."  
  
"Don't push yourself, pretty boy."  
  
"I'm PRETTY now! Aww, you melt my heart."  
  
San groaned. Seiya laughed.   
  
******  
  
The two hours flew by... or crawled at an achingly slow   
pace depending on the person.  
  
For Seiya it went by slow when he had to work or when he  
thought about his stomach, and went fast when he got to groove to  
the Muppets. For San it went slow when he had to groove and sped  
up when working on the forest.  
  
For Mariko, time went by too fast, though they were able  
to clean out the hives before two. For Taiki, the bees went fast  
while time seemed to like to torture HIM, and turned his body to  
stone. He couldn't run, but he had to move, and in his nervous   
state, he wasn't acting exactly graceful.  
  
Furui was stuck in timelessness to begin with so he had   
no problem spouting Zen philosophy to Yaten as the soiled boy fed  
each koi in the koi pond individually.  
  
To Monsieur Chef time slowed down as he cuddled his   
Chu-chu and ordered Minako around. To her, time went too fast...  
and by the end of the first hour, Monsieur Chef got so aggravated  
he threw out all of her "food", and just did everything on his   
own.  
  
Thus when the clock struck two, everybody returned to the  
main house, hunger, tired, dirty, and grooved out... all except   
Yaten.  
  
*I can't go back looking like this!* he sobbed to   
himself. *They'll never live it down.*  
  
So as Furui-sama jigged down the path to the main house,  
Yaten cut through some bushes and decided to walk aimlessly until  
he reached Furui-sama's area. That's where you always ended up   
anyway. Seriously, he had tried running away countless times,   
only to find himself right where Furui had wandered to. Weird.  
He didn't like this mini version of Osho.  
  
******  
  
"Aaaaah," sighed Seiya as he interlaced his fingers and   
pressed his chin into the flesh weave. "This smells so GOOD!"  
  
Monsieur Chef began to cry in appreciation.  
  
"Hey," said Minako. "Where's Yaten?"  
  
"Running away," said Furui as he poked a steaming hot   
crab with his pinky. "He doesn't want anybody to see him in his  
disarrayed state. This looks AWFUL, Itamae-san."  
  
The chef began to sputter.  
  
"Maybe I should go look for him," Minako said, pretending  
to sound wistful. Inside, though, her stomach was turning to   
mush. *Perfect!! Nobody around. Just me and Yaten in the   
forest, trees surrounding us with no one being able to see.   
He'll kiss me, I'll him, then we'll kiss and--*  
  
"He should be by the river. Just follow the path, you   
can't miss it."  
  
"GREAT! See ya guys!" And disappeared with a squeal.  
  
"That girl is WEIRD," said Seiya, before grabbing a   
plate. Taiki nodded in agreement. "Look, I'm starving, and if   
I know Aino-kun at all, she'll be keeping him busy for a while,   
so can we just dig in?"  
  
"Yes!" cried Furui, and everybody sat down and filled  
their plates with food, munching with abandon.  
  
There was silence as they ate, too hungry to do anything   
but inhale crab, rice, and salad, but over his crab sandwich   
(which Monsieur Chef wrinkled his nose at in disgust), Seiya   
observed the seating arrangements.  
  
Furui was at the head of the table, of course. That   
wasn't what interested him, though. What he noticed was Mariko   
and San.  
  
They sat together, shoulders nearly touching, and yet   
they didn't seem to notice... well, Mariko didn't anyway. He   
knew for a fact San had a thing going on for her, and yet he   
didn't seem to make a big deal out of their intimacy. They were  
probably joined at the hip all day, he surmised. *Our   
reservations must have disturbed that. The more people, the   
less they need to work together.*  
  
He wondered what Odango atama was doing right now,  
whether she was thinking of him... or her Mamo-chan. *What would  
it be like if she and I were a "duo"? Would I just get used to   
the intimacy? Or would I have to hide my feelings?*  
  
He didn't quite understand what it would feel like. He   
was with the guys 24/7, but it's not like he had any *special*   
feelings for them... ick. And Kakyuu...? His heart ached for   
her, wondering where she was, how she was doing. He felt kind of  
guilty for think of her in a situation like this. But what was   
the point? She was the princess. Their duo was about sovereign  
and protector.  
  
But Odango...  
  
Seiya's eyes met with San's briefly, and he could tell   
with a shudder San knew EXACTLY what he was thinking. Creepy.   
Man, that boy was scary. But he still had to wonder. What was   
Odango doing right now?   
  
******  
  
Dear Mamo-chan,  
How are things in America? Good, I hope.   
It's been different around Juuban lately with Minako-chan  
gone. That's right, she left the group for a few days with the   
Three Lights. Remember the idol band I was talking about? The   
one with Seiya Kou? Well, those are the guys she went with.  
Nothing's really been the same with her gone. Well,  
actually, that's not true. Thing's HAVE been pretty much the   
same. It's just been a lot quieter. Well, actually, that's not  
true either. Let me just tell you everything.  
Ami-chan's been REALLY harsh with me about studying!   
It's not fair! I mean, when Minako was here, at least she evened  
out all of her math drilling between us. I'm afraid of her now.   
But don't let her know that, okay?  
I think Rei-chan's gotten bit by the jealousy bug bad. I  
don't know what it is, but she had been really sneaky ever since  
Mina-chan got that job as an assistant to the Three Lights,   
hanging around her house, and making sure she was with Mina   
whenever the band had an appointment where they needed her. When  
Haruka-san and the others came over to talk about what we were   
going to do, Rei-chan acted very mature and calm. It was only   
when they left that Rei showed her true feelings. I was afraid   
she was going to rip out her hair, she was so angry! And you   
know how much she takes out her anger on me! My odangos are   
perfect for tugging on! If only you were here to protect me.  
Makoto-chan seems the most normal out of the three right  
now, even though she mutters about Taiki-kun a lot. I think   
that's making Ami-chan even more harsh. Why am I always the   
punching bag? I'm a princess!   
I miss you, Mamo-chan. I wear the ring you gave me even  
when I sleep. I'll never take it off, I promise you. I just   
wish I could have given you something in return. When you get   
back, let's go eat at a nice restaurant, okay? Just you and me.  
Please write back this time.  
I love you,  
Usako  
  
******  
  
END PART 2B  
  
******  
  
Notes: Long live the Chu-chus! 


	6. Day 1: Part 2C

Retreat into Hell  
Part 2C  
By Sarah-chan  
  
Notes: I assure you the chocolate bar sequences were NOT   
intended to be sexually suggestive. If you do happen to think  
that way, though, you're not alone. :P The author is naughty,  
she is.  
  
******  
  
So tranquil, this area. Through the quite roar of the   
river, only the sounds of birds could be heard. No muted sound   
of electricity buzzing through his brain, no annoyingly high   
pitched shrills of fan girls professing their undying love.   
Just Yaten and nature. The quiet, peaceful, tame kind of   
nature.  
  
"Yoo-hoo!"  
  
Oh God. Yaten looked around frantically for an escape   
as Minako bounded through the trees toward him. It would only   
be a few seconds before she would see him in his disarrayed   
state, and he had to think fast.  
  
*Think fast think fast think fast. Lesse. River.  
River=water, water=wet clothes... oh God. Just do it, Yaten.   
Just do it. Do it! Okay... on the count of three. One...   
two... three... four... five... NOW!*  
  
Kicking himself, he jumped off the bank into the water,  
a large splash cloaking his form just as Minako broke through   
the trees.   
  
"Yaten! What happened to you?"  
  
Yaten was still standing, and as he looked down he  
realized the water was only knee deep. Just enough to soak the  
bottom of his shorts.  
  
They stared at each other for a moment before Minako  
began to giggle. His glare only made it worse, and as she  
clutched her stomach, screaming hysterically and pointing at   
him, he decided he wanted to end his life. The only thing that  
distracted him and Minako was the angry scream of a young woman.  
  
"YOU ARE SUCH A JERK!"  
  
"WHAT ARE YA TALKIN ABOUT?!"  
  
"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WOULD DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT!"  
  
"WHAT DID I DO, HUH?!"  
  
"OOH, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID!"  
  
"NO I DON'T!"  
  
"YES YOU DO!"  
  
"I DON'T!"  
  
"DO TOO!"  
  
"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!"  
  
"OF COURSE I DO! YOU GOT US LOST!"  
  
"WHAT?! ME?! _YOU_ WERE THE ONE WHO WANTED TO TAKE THE  
LEFT INSTEAD OF RIGHT!"  
  
"WELL, YOU WERE TELLING ME TO HURRY UP!"   
  
"MAYBE IF YOU STOPPED ACTING SO MACHO... Hey... hey hey   
hey, put me down. What are you doing?! Put me down! We're on   
a cliff! No!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO--"  
  
*SPLASH*  
  
It took a while before Yaten and Minako could see the  
red head of a furious girl floated past them. She seemed mildly  
surprised at seeing them.  
  
"Hey again."  
  
"...Hi."  
  
"Watch your step. It gets pretty deep a foot away."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Sure, no problem."  
  
And she floated away. There was silence before Minako   
started going back into hysterical bouts of laughter. Yaten had  
to join her, and for a minute the only sounds in the forest were  
the sounds of laughter.  
  
Finally, Minako took a deep breath, wiped away a tear,   
giggled again, and the said, "So what happened to you?"  
  
"It's a really long story."  
  
"You don't really like animals, do you?"  
  
"They're so... primitive."  
  
"But you like cats, right?"  
  
Yaten trudged back to the shore, and flopped down on the  
grass. Minako sat down next to him, and he started picking up   
the green blades and twisting them in his finger.  
  
"Cats have this individuality to them," he said. "These  
distinct personalities, the good and the bad. That and they   
have to be the most beautiful creatures on Earth. So graceful,   
and elegant. They never lose face."  
  
"I have a cat," said Minako. "And he isn't that   
elegant. Trust me. He wines and gripes, and then clings to me  
if he doesn't want me to go. And that's ALL the time."  
  
Yaten rose an eyebrow. "He must really be attached to  
you."  
  
Minako shrugged. "I guess. But he's really smart, and  
usually always knows what to do. That's why I like him. He's   
always thinking ahead..."  
  
"You have one strange cat."  
  
Minako flushed. "W-well, they say your pet takes on  
your personality! Ahehehe."  
  
Yaten didn't seem to hear her as his thoughts took over  
him. Minako stared at his hand as he absent mindedly twisted   
the blade of grass, the green blood seeping into his skin.  
  
"Animals don't have to worry about anything but   
survival," Yaten murmured. "Humans have to worry about their  
hearts. Whether or not a person will hurt them, whether or not  
they'll hurt another. If they'll lose somebody and never be   
able to find them again... I worry about these things all the   
time, but I need to survive, too... and I feel like THAT is all  
I do. Survive. I just don't have any time for my heart."  
  
"Yaten-san..."  
  
"The other guys can have fun and relax... but I can't do  
that... I just feel so wary all the time. I'm waiting for the   
inevitable... the time when I find that all I've been fighting   
for has been gone for a very, very long time."  
  
"What... what are you going to do if you find that out?"  
Her began to beat faster as he shrugged. "Yaten. What are you   
thinking? You don't really mean that you'll--"  
  
"What do you care? Huh?"  
  
"I care--!"  
  
"Why? So you can be the main groupie for Three Lights?  
So you'll get your shot at being a star?"  
  
"No--!"  
  
"You listen to me, Minako," he said, slightly shocking   
himself by not using any honorific. No distance, no wall. Just  
raw connection. "You listen to me, okay? You want to be a   
star? You have to give up YOURSELF. You have to throw away all  
you've ever wished for and live a lie that people want."  
  
"That's not true--"  
  
"Well it is for me!" he cried, and stood up, beginning   
to pace. "I'm sick and tired of having to day in and day out   
pretend to be somebody I'm not!"  
  
The fury was growing inside him, and suddenly he felt a   
bead of fire in his stomach shooting into his veins, and he   
stared down at his ruined Yumero Suzume shirt, and knew if it   
had been possible, he never would have had to wear it to begin   
with. This masculine shirt, no matter how elegant, had been   
made for a man.  
  
For the first time, he hated Yumero Suzume for creating  
it, for making a duplicate for women. THAT had been the one he   
wanted, the one he had craved for. No matter how beautiful this  
one had been, it was made for a man...  
  
Minako stood in disbelief as he grabbed his shirt and  
ripped it off, tightening it up into a ball and throwing it into  
the river. The sunlight shined down on his bare skin,   
illuminating Yaten into a frighteningly beautiful angel.  
  
"THIS ISN'T ME!" he screamed up at the sky. "WHY CAN'T  
YOU JUST COME AND LET ME BE MYSELF?! WHY DO YOU HAVE TO MAKE ME  
BE THIS WAY?!"  
  
Minako ran to the river and fished the shirt out before  
it was too late, and walked carefully back to the shore, eyeing  
this new and intense Yaten warily. He stared at her, his chest   
heaving, looking like a wolf wrapped in a lamb's skin. And that  
was what scared Minako, to know that both the lamb and wolf were  
inside him... and he had chosen the wolf.  
  
There was silence as Minako bit her lip, trying to  
figure out what to do. She looked down at the shirt, and smiled  
hesitantly before holding it up.  
  
"Well... um... it's clean now, right?" She snapped the  
soaked shirt, sending a piercing sound and droplets of water   
into the area, and held it out to Yaten. His arm rose half way,  
and Minako took advantage of it by taking hold of his hand and   
snuggling the sopping wet garment to her face, a small waterfall  
flowing down her arm. "If you don't want it, can I have it?"  
  
Yaten blinked a moment, not comprehending her actions   
and deciding whether or not she was crazier than he was. But as  
he stared into her eyes and saw in them what her gestures had   
not, a small enlightenment dawned on him. She was terrified,   
worried, confused, and had NO idea how to make things better in   
this situation.  
  
She was the one in that tight little circle who made  
people laugh in times where they were lost in despair. She  
couldn't handle despair, it was too much of a problem, so she   
tried to defeat it by using humor as her weapon.  
  
Minako needed to break down this wall. It was a NEED, a  
thing she knew she HAD to do.  
  
Swallowing, he cocked a smile, and started to grab the   
shirt, but Minako pulled it away right before he could get it.  
"No, you can't have it! It's a Yumero Suzume!"  
  
"But you threw it into the water!"  
  
"I was washing it!"  
  
"Yeah, right! You want it? Then come and get it." She  
started to break away from him, but this time Yaten held onto   
her hand, keeping her from running away. All she could do was   
keep the shirt held high and away from him.  
  
Somewhere along the way between shouting and laughing  
and giggling, limbs got tangled, and two bodies softly fell to   
the ground. After a VERY long moment they detached themselves  
(much to Minako's disappointment), and Yaten rolled off of her,  
grabbing his shirt in the process.  
  
"I like the sky, don't you?" Minako asked as she stared  
up at the blue atmosphere. Yaten closed his eyes as he laid   
beside her, and when he opened them, everything seemed so much   
brighter and defined than before.  
  
"Sure," he said, and they sat back up, returning to the  
beginning as he twisted a blade of grass between his fingers.  
  
The only sound was the babbling of the river, and the  
whisper of hair as Minako looked back from the trees to Yaten,   
waiting for him to say something. That and she liked staring   
at his shirtless chest. Such a nice, nice chest.  
  
"If you aren't being your true self," Minako said   
finally, not able to stand keeping away from the heart of the  
problem any longer. "Why don't you start right now?"  
  
"It's complicated," Yaten said as he pulled his shirt  
over his head, not being able to stand her glances.  
  
"Try me," she said. "Or do you think I'm just some dumb  
blonde ditz?"  
  
They looked at each other.  
  
"I know that's what everybody thinks I am," she said  
and smiled. "Except Usagi and the others, of course. But  
sometimes, you're only somebody else in another person's eyes...  
and you begin to look through their perspective."  
  
There was silence before Yaten said, "It's not that, and  
I don't think of you that way. Not now, anyway."  
  
"REALLY?!" She cried, and glomped onto his arm. Yaten   
only sighed. "What DO you think of me, then?"  
  
"I think you're a very odd girl who doesn't know when  
things are hopeless," he answered, dampening her excitement.  
"But I know you're not a ditz. People are just too blind to  
notice your intelligence."  
  
"I think... that's one of the nicest things anybody has  
ever said to me."  
  
"You must have been REALLY deprived."  
  
"Yup. That's me. Lil' deprived Minako." Her eyes  
suddenly got VERY large. "Won't you fill that emptiness inside  
of me?"  
  
"Oi."   
  
******  
  
Lunch had been eaten. A lot of it. And a lot of water,  
too. Well, by Seiya anyway. And when nature calls, it's best   
to listen to it.  
  
Seiya decided not to, though, when he saw that the door   
to Mariko's room was open. It looked very very inviting taking  
that his face was staring right at him.  
  
*They sure did a nice job on those posters.*  
  
It wouldn't hurt to take a look, would it? Nah.  
  
Seiya took a breath, looked both ways down the hallway,   
and slipped into the girl's room, ignoring the feeling of having  
just walked into a bubble.  
  
*  
  
Mariko was about to eat the last of her rice, chopsticks  
poised at her open mouth, when she stopped and looked in the   
direction where Seiya had gone.  
  
"What's up?" asked San, and Mariko scowled a little  
before shaking her head.  
  
"Nothing," she said, and stood up, looking to San, then  
Taiki, and finally to Furui. "I'll be right back."  
  
San rose an eyebrow, but didn't say anything, and  
watched as Mariko moved into the hallway.  
  
*  
  
This had to be the biggest collection of Three Lights  
merchandise Seiya had ever seen besides his own. There were  
posters all over the walls (and a couple others that WEREN'T   
Three Lights), even some on the ceiling, including his favorite:  
The "Got Milk?" poster of him in his underwear that WOULD have   
been the biggest ad of milk, if it hadn't been for that other   
big boy band from America. Damn the Backstreet Boys.  
  
OOOOH! A plushy! Seiya grabbed the Seiya UFO catcher  
doll, and snuggled it up until he saw the next thing that caught  
his easily distracted attention. One thing was for sure, Taiki  
had been a genius when he promoted the Three Lights chocolate   
bars. They were in the distinctive shape of each Light, along   
with exquisite detail down to the eyelashes. Girls could eat   
them any day! Oh, wait. No. That sounded BAD. True. But   
bad.  
  
The room was modern, unlike all the others he had seen   
besides the kitchen. The door was western style, with a knob,   
and the inside was surprisingly bright and cozy, with painted   
walls instead of the shoji screens the rest of the rooms had.  
  
A yellow blanket was on a western style bed, a closet   
open with clothes spilling out, shelves with books and small old  
toys. There was a dresser by the bed, the top completely   
covered by small and sweet "girl things" and discarded clothes   
(Seiya almost blushed by the bra hanging on the corner, but hey,  
never be embarrassed by something natural, was his motto).  
  
The only completely neat and organized place was the   
small area near the door that lead to the deck. Paper fans   
splayed out to reveal their delicate nature, tiny ancient  
porcelain cats stretching and lazily trying to defeat time.   
Oddly, there was a katana and wakizashi pair laid carefully on  
a stand beneath the shelves. And there were photographs. Lots  
of them.  
  
As Seiya's eyes moved to each one, his heart lifted with  
an affection he hadn't felt before, even if all of them were of   
Mariko and San together.   
  
Mariko and San on their first trip to Mount Fuji, Mariko  
and San at Disneyland, Mariko and San at the beach, at a ski   
resort, in the city, in the forest, at festivals.  
  
*Looks like San isn't the only one obsessed.*  
  
He was surprised there weren't any other people with  
them. Furui had obviously taken the pictures, because   
San was blushing in a lot of them, and Mariko was getting   
frazzled. Furui could do that to a person. Seiya knew he   
enjoyed upturning people's lives just a little.  
  
There were two photos, though, that caught his attention  
and kept it for a very long time.  
  
The first picture was of Mariko when she was a little  
girl, maybe seven or eight, with a smiling couple and a toddler  
on the man's shoulders. Mariko was holding an ice cream cone  
out to the camera, and the woman was bending down, wrapping an  
arm around the girl's waist and giving her bunny ears. All of   
them seemed to be laughing.  
  
*Her parents...?*  
  
His eyes drifted over to the second photograph, framed  
in a very elegant and old metal frame. The photograph itself  
was old, a fading black and white, the creases by the corners   
looking as if they would dissolve.  
  
The background was of the forest, of the wild part on  
the other side of that freaky meadow with the angel statues.  
*'In order to have balance, you must have chaos. Tame and wild,  
organized and disorganized. To see one clearly, we must have  
the other.'* Those were the words of San, of the explanation  
to the wild part of the forest.  
  
It wasn't the background that interested him, though.  
It was the person in it. A young man in full body armor,   
bright and shining, so smooth and clear Seiya could vaguely see  
the reflection of the person taking the photograph. The only   
thing he wasn't wearing was the helmet laying on the   
ground, tipped over to one side.  
  
His back was to the camera, but his head turned to   
face the person from the side, a small curve of a smile visible,  
his long black hair curling from the heat. One gauntleted hand   
was resting on the hilt of a large sword sheathed at his hip.  
  
His other hand rested on the neck of an incredibly   
large wolf. A wolf who's back came to the knight's waist.  
  
*Dude.*  
  
There was some blur from the wolf's mouth, probably  
from sticking out it's tongue. The camera was old, one of   
those earlier models where the objects in the photos needed to   
be perfectly still for more than a minute. The wolf did a   
pretty good job.  
  
"Find anything interesting? I really need to clean  
this room... I can't stand being in here when it's messy."  
  
"WAAAH!" Seiya stumbled back and stared as Mariko   
leaned against the doorway, watching him. "God, you scared me!"  
  
"Sorry," she said, and walked into the room, Seiya   
started to turn a deep red, knowing he was in for it now. There  
wasn't anything worse than an angry woman. He should know.  
  
"H-How long were you there?"  
  
"A while," she said, and smiled. Noticing his   
embarrassment, she put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you feeling  
guilty?"  
  
"M-me? No way! I just lost my way and happened to  
wander in here--"  
  
"Hey, I know how you feel! Curiosity killed the cat.  
Usually, I'm the one to get into trouble."  
  
"Really? You seem like the calm one to me."  
  
She grimaced. "I'm the world's worst matchmaker.  
Seriously, you should see all the matches I've put San through.   
Now he just refuses to go on a blind date and runs to a dark   
corner to hide from me."  
  
"Poor guy, he's so anti-social too."  
  
"You feel the same way!" she cried. "Grandfather   
doesn't listen to me at all about him. It's not good for San  
to be so isolated. But he's content to just stay home or be   
with me. He was even like that at school."  
  
"He doesn't go to school anymore?"  
  
"He graduated. I've taken time off to help around the  
place. We've had... some difficulties lately."  
  
"Aah." There was a silence as he watched Mariko brood  
over whatever was going on. "When did you guys meet?"  
  
"Hmm? Oh." She smiled softly. "He had been staying  
with Grandfather for a while with another man when I came to live  
with him. He just never left, and after Grandfather decided to  
train him, it was impossible to turn back."  
  
She stood on her tip toes and grabbed the photograph of  
her as a child with the couple. Mariko smiled faintly, tracing  
the faces of the adults and baby with her fingers before passing  
it to Seiya.  
  
"Those are my parents," she said. "And my baby brother.  
I had always thought they were indestructible, since they had  
been trained by Grandfather. They were wonderful, so loving  
and sweet from what I remember... they died in a car accident  
when I was ten." She pointed to the little baby. "My brother,  
Tenkai and I survived. He's in Tokyo right now, living with my  
aunt and uncle. The scars haven't faded."  
  
Seiya looked up into her glistening eyes, and as if she  
could read his mind, she said, "You know, I've always known you  
were easy to talk to. It's like everything I want to say just  
slips out of my mouth."  
  
"Sometimes it's better to keep things to yourself,"   
Seiya said. "There are things people just shouldn't know."  
  
"Do you really think that?" she asked. "You would,  
given your situation, wouldn't you?"  
  
Seiya's eyes widened, and Mariko took back the picture,  
trying her hardest to place it back on the shelf until Seiya  
took it again and easily put it back in its place for her.  
  
"Keeping everything to yourself keeps you from healing  
any of the pain life has caused. I learned that from my   
parents' death. It's true you shouldn't say EVERYTHING to  
ANYBODY, but when you fully trust someone, ESPECIALLY someone  
who comes to the Celestial Retreat, it all makes sense, doesn't  
it?   
  
"To make sure no corner of your life is hidden, to give  
all of yourself to somebody you love and hold nothing back,   
these are things I will live by."   
  
She smiled at Seiya's dauntedness. "It's hard to   
imagine, huh? Especially for a warrior. Leaving nothing behind  
for somebody to use as a weapon against you is the ultimate  
safety. But my goal is leaving EVERYTHING behind, even if it  
could be a weapon, and not having it effect me."  
  
"Like this guy?" Seiya asked, pointing to the knight.  
  
"Seiya." Both he and Mariko turned to look at San as   
he stood by the open door, looking like the devil. Seiya   
swallowed, and waved.   
  
"Hey, Ernie, how's it going?"  
  
"It's okay, San," Mariko assured.  
  
"You know what?" Seiya said and started laughing   
nervously. "I just realized I needed to go do something right  
about now."  
  
"Really?" asked Mariko. "What?"  
  
"Run away in terror. But," he answered and took her  
hand, kissing it sweetly. "I agree with the things you said  
before. And I'm glad that you trust me so much. Not that many  
people do." And he walked out the door, avoiding San's gaze.  
  
When he was gone, San shut the door and walked over to   
Mariko, who rested her head against his chest, squeezing his   
hand affectionately.  
  
"Please," she whispered. "Please don't try to protect   
me anymore... there's no need..."  
  
San buried his face in her hair.  
  
"San... we're a team, right?"   
  
He nodded. "Of course."  
  
"Even... even when he comes back...?"  
  
"I will always be at your side, even if it's already   
been taken."  
  
She clamped her eyes shut from the tears, and pushed him  
away. "You can't keep on living for others, San. You just   
can't. It's not right, your sacrifice..."  
  
"I promised my lord I would watch over you until he   
returned to Earth. That I would breathe only for you. And I do  
it with all my soul."  
  
Mariko shook her head, and tried to push away, but San  
wrapped his arms around her. "He would talk about you all the   
time, your name was every other word he said. I never   
understood his attachment to you... never understood why you  
were so important.  
  
"And when he left... when I went after him to bring him  
back, he told me to take care of you, and I did. There was no  
going back when I agreed to be trained by Furui-sama. I had to  
stay here to protect the forest in his place. To protect YOU   
in his place. And I've started... I've started to realize what  
he meant when he said you were the world to him."  
  
Mariko wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him as  
tight as she could, knowing with some guilt that San felt like   
*him*. She didn't care, though, because his warmth and safety   
brought her comfort... and a little longing for her absent love.  
  
"When Oukami-ouji comes back, you will be freed from  
your service."  
  
"..."  
  
"I promise you, San."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"And, San?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Will you promise me something too?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"I know you can sense when somebody isn't true to their  
own selves, and I love that. But do you really have to scare  
them out of their minds?"  
  
"Shying away from the truth is a threat to all we try   
to protect."  
  
"But they have a good reason for it..."  
  
"You're right..." He smiled, his eyes covered by his  
bangs to hide the color. It was a silver copper, a hesitant and  
conflicting color, not sure whether this was something he was  
happy about, or whether he was scared of it. "I actually kind  
of like them, you know. Unusual for their kind... but more  
human than the others that come here."  
  
"They remind me of Oukami-ouji."  
  
"I know. Me too."  
  
"San? Will he ever come back?"  
  
"..."  
  
"San?"  
  
******  
  
"Aah!" cried Minako. "I'm starving!"  
  
"What happened to all the food?"  
  
"Ask the bottomless pit over there," answered Taiki,   
pointing to Seiya who rested his elbows on the table. The boy  
grinned in apology.  
  
"Ah, man," groaned Minako.  
  
"You baka!" shouted Yaten. "Do you know how selfish you  
are?! I can't believe you would do something like that! I   
could just KILL you!"  
  
"Do it! Do it!" cried vixen Yaten. "You'll do the   
universe a favor."  
  
"Uh-oh," said Taiki, looking up from his novel. "Looks  
like Yaten's hungry, too."  
  
"Damn straight I am."  
  
"Why don't you just eat ME?" asked Seiya.  
  
"Okay!" cried Minako. They both stopped and looked at   
each other.  
  
"That just sounded bad," said Yaten with a disgusted  
look. Both Minako and Seiya nodded, blushing. The black haired  
bishounen threw both Minako and Yaten a chocolate bar, though   
and grinned.  
  
"Ooooh, Three Lights Choco-liscious Bar-bars!"  
  
"Why do these people always have to ruin food with corny  
titles?"  
  
"Hey," said Seiya. "It's catchy."  
  
"TLC-DOUBLE-Bs!" He and Minako cried in unison. They   
stared at each other again.  
  
"You know," said Minako, batting her eyelashes. "We are  
SO on the same wave length it's not even funny."  
  
"Riiiiiight."  
  
Minako grinned and bit into the arm of a Taiki. The  
real one grimaced, and Yaten frowned.  
  
"Hey, now. Don't be enjoying that so much."  
  
*I beseech you, fair maiden. Eat MY bar! The Yaten  
shaped chocolates have extra almonds.*  
  
*Nay, sweet Minako, eat MINE! Seiya chocolates have  
orange for that extra zing!*  
  
*But... but... they're all so good! Taiki's with the  
mint adds that wonderful freshness to your mouth!*  
  
*Why not have a bite of each at the same time?*  
  
*You're so smart, Taiki.*  
  
"Uh-oh. Nose bleed alert."  
  
"Enough with the bar talk, okay?"  
  
"Mint-orange-nut-nut bars! That's perfect! You guys  
should have a king size with all three of you."  
  
"We DO."  
  
"Since when?!"  
  
"Since we kept you away from the candy store last week."  
  
Minako sighed, while all three boys sweatdropped.   
  
"Hey, where's Furui-sama?" asked Minako as she looked   
around the room. Just then, Mariko walked back in the room, not  
smiling quite as much as she usually did, and Taiki rose his   
eyebrows.  
  
"He had to take care of something in the meadow," she  
said, and sat down next to the blonde, sighing as if she was  
exhausted. Shocking all of them except San, she rested her head  
on Minako's shoulder for comfort. Slightly disturbed at this  
intimate contact with a near stranger, Minako wasn't as much of  
a soft shoulder as she could have been, but she was happy she   
was the one picked out out of all of them.  
  
There were some things women could do together, that  
those of the opposite sex couldn't. And all four of the men  
watched with jealousy as the two girls leaned against each  
other for support.   
  
"Is everything all right?" Seiya asked and looked to San  
as he walked back in the room, his eyes shaded.  
  
"Yeah," Mariko said, and sat back up, stretching. "I'm   
going to check on the bees. Do you want to come?"  
  
"U-uh." Taiki looked frantically around, trying to   
think of a diversion, and his eyes locked with Minako warily.   
"I-I need to--"  
  
"Study!" cried Minako. "I'm so stupid when it comes to  
math, and Taiki-san makes everything SO simple! I don't know   
how I'm going to pass without him. He always makes everything   
seem like a breeze."  
  
"He does...?" asked Yaten, and Seiya guffawed.  
  
"I don't see you two doing better than me," said Taiki  
with an obnoxiously intelligent voice.  
  
"Hey, if you can match Mizuno-kun, that's something that  
should be in the record books. But simple? Nice and easy?  
Pahlease."  
  
"Really!" cried Minako. "I learned new kanji in only  
ten minutes!"  
  
Mariko smiled. "I know what you mean. I was hoping   
you'd come with me, but maybe next time. Anybody else want to?"  
  
Seiya shook his head. "I better not. San doesn't want  
me to go near you."  
  
San groaned and buried his face in his hands.  
  
"Hey, I'm just telling the truth! And you call me a   
liar. I've already had two strikes, and I'd rather not have  
to go to the ER if I'm caught alone with you again. Sorry."   
  
"It's fine," San said through clenched teeth. "Really."  
  
"Wha?!" Seiya blinked.  
  
"I'll go," said Yaten. "I've wanted to use my camera  
anyway, and I have a lot of film to use up."  
  
"Cool! I'll be waiting outside, okay?"  
  
"Sure. I'll be right there." And Yaten started to go to  
his room to get his camera.  
  
"Why does everybody want to be with her and not me?!"  
  
"Maybe she doesn't make such a big deal about us," shot  
Yaten before he walked away. Minako pouted, and looked to the  
remaining band members who nodded their heads in agreement.  
  
"So, you guys are saying if I cut out all of my devotion  
and adoration, you'll go on a date with me?"  
  
"W-we never said that!"  
  
******  
  
Furui stood next to Tenshi as he surveyed the Crack and  
frowned. It had only been four weeks since San and Mariko had  
bolted it, and already the rods and screws were bending. There  
was definitely something going on.  
  
"We decided it had to do with the strange amount of   
enterings on the planet. There has been a wave of negative  
energy, and unfortunately it's been emanating from a specific  
source and not from the Crack," said Ishi.  
  
"The only problem is the Crack's sucking down all the  
stray energy and getting power from it," added Tenshi. "We   
already told San it would only be a matter of time... a couple  
of days. And with that new group here..."  
  
"Yes," agreed Furui. "They were sent here to help,  
even if they don't know it yet. Their strength will be an  
attribute."  
  
"One thing's for sure," said Ishi. "If the Crack   
doesn't split open by the time they need to leave, you HAVE to  
keep them here until it does."  
  
"I agree. I'll do whatever I can."  
  
"And also, Furui-san... before you go we need to talk to  
you about San."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"We feel he is distancing himself from his planet..."  
  
"Or forgetting. He's almost purely human now, and  
has adapted to Earth."  
  
"I know," said Furui with a sigh. "I know all of this.  
It's just that he's been so happy these last few years, as if  
all of his pain has been lifted off from His Majesty's leaving.  
I want him to stay. Hell, I want him to be my grandson!"  
  
"But Mariko is still in love... she still waits for the  
wolf prince."  
  
"He is dead," said Furui, shaking his head in sadness.  
"I loved the prince. But he is dead now."  
  
"Why haven't you told Mariko?"  
  
"If you defy time and give up a new life to wait for   
the one you love, if you wait for four years for him, would you  
want to learn he died only hours after leaving the sanctuary,   
and nobody had told you even then?"  
  
"Good point."  
  
Furui nodded his head sadly. "We should have told her."  
  
"I have a feeling she'll find out soon enough."  
  
******  
  
"¿Cual es tu numero del telephono?"  
  
"Eh? Taiki-san, what are you doing?"  
  
"¿Cual es tu numero del telephono?"  
  
"Um... okaaaaaay."  
  
"Oi, Aino-kun. It's Spanish. Remember the test we have  
on Thursday?"  
  
"Oooooh! That's right!"  
  
Taiki sighed. He knew he should have just faked not  
already knowing English. But one needs to be challenged! It  
wasn't his fault he didn't know Minako had learned that language  
as well.  
  
"¿Cual es tu numero del telephono?"  
  
"Do you really have to say it with those weird upside   
down question mark thingies?"  
  
"AAAAARGGGGH!!!!"  
  
******  
  
The hours passed by in relaxation or something along   
those lines. Mariko and Yaten stayed with the bees, talking  
about nature and the area as he took picture after picture of  
the setting sun, and forest, and the beautiful dance of the   
honey bee.  
  
Taiki tried his best not to go insane with all of   
Minako's questions and jabs, but somehow they both got all the  
studying they needed done for the week. Seiya, for being so   
nice to Monsieur Chef got a free and VERY delicious full body   
massage. That man was a master.  
  
Furui stayed with the Tenshi no Ishi and talked more   
about the Crack and caught up on time, while San looked back  
into the past while resting beneath the huge oak tree and cursed  
his master for leaving him behind.  
  
Everything started to pick up speed, though, when the   
hot air balloon fell onto the house.  
  
"DAMN!" shouted Haruka as the balloon landed with a thud  
onto the roof. Both she and Michiru scrambled out of the basket  
to get out of the way of the deflating nylon.  
  
Inside Minako screamed and latched onto Taiki, stuck  
to him like glue no matter how much he flailed. Finally he just  
stood up with her and ran out of the kitchen to see what had   
happened.  
  
Seiya shrieked and flung himself off the table, clutching   
his small towel to his waist for dear life, and wrapping it   
around him, ran outside with the chef.  
  
Mariko and Yaten had seen the hot air balloon descending  
towards the clearing and ran back to the lodge, while Furui only  
laughed, said goodbye to the Tenshi no Ishi and whistled his way  
down the path towards his home.  
  
San had only been jarred from his thoughts at the sight  
of the huge yellow and aqua balloon falling towards the lodge  
right in front of him, and he stood up in shock to watch it   
crash into the house.  
  
"Michiru-san! Haruka-san!" cried Minako, and waved to   
them. The two women slid down the roof and landed lightly on  
their feet, smiling in greeting as their blonde friend rushed   
over to them.  
  
"Hello, Minako-chan," said Michiru. "How has your   
vacation been going?"  
  
"This is such a surprise!"  
  
"I'll say," muttered Seiya as he locked eyes with Haruka.  
This was going to get rough, he could tell.  
  
"We just thought we would drop by and see how you were  
doing," Haruka said, tearing her gaze from Seiya and looking back  
to Minako.  
  
"HEY!" shouted Mariko as she ran down the pathway. "Are  
you guys all right?!"  
  
"They're fine!" Minako called back, and finally Mariko  
stopped to stand next to her. "Haruka-san and Michiru-san just   
dropped onto the roof... in a hot air balloon... ne, Haruka-san,  
what happened to your car?"  
  
"In the shop."  
  
"And your helicopter?"  
  
"In the shop."  
  
"Everything else?"  
  
Haruka sighed and repeated her answer.  
  
"How romantic!" sighed Minako. "You guys must have had  
a blast coming here."  
  
"Actually, it wasn't that great."  
  
"Excuse me," said Mariko. "I hate to break up this  
conversation, but how are we going to get this thing down?"  
  
"A girl as cute as you usually has all the answers,"   
said Haruka, causing her to blush. "What's your name?"  
  
"Anjou Mariko..."  
  
"Haruka's a woman," whispered Minako to Mariko, causing   
her to blush even more.  
  
"Tenou Haruka?" The two women turned to see San as he  
walked up to them.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"The famous race car driver?" Haruka seemed to swell   
with pride and nodded her head. They shook hands. "I'm San,   
I've seen nearly every race you entered in. I'm amazed by your   
speed. You fly like the wind."  
  
"Thank you," she said, a little surprised.  
  
"And Kaiou Michiru. I have all your albums, you truly   
have a gift. I feel like I'm riding the waves when I listen to   
your songs."  
  
"Thank you very much. Looks like we have fans all the   
way up here," Michiru said, glowing.  
  
"Ahahaha! Look who's dropped by! We have more idols  
here than you can shake a stick at," cried Furui at the door way.  
"Come in, come in! We have a lot to plan!"  
  
"Does this mean I don't have to sleep with Aino-kun   
again?" asked Yaten as they started walking into the house.  
  
Haruka and Michiru stopped cold and stared at Minako.  
  
"W-what?" said Haruka. "You SLEPT with him?"  
  
"There wasn't enough room..." said Minako turning her  
gaze down and flushing. "Haruka-san! Don't look at me like   
that! You're making me embarrassed!"  
  
"Yes, Haruka," said Michiru. "Don't ruin her time here.  
We'll discuss this inside."  
  
"If anything happened..." Haruka cracked her knuckles as  
she glared at Yaten, causing him to start to sweat.  
  
"Nothing happened!" assured Minako. "Unfortunately..."  
  
"Eh?"  
  
"Nothing, nothing."  
  
******  
  
The seating arrangements changed over the new events.  
Furui stayed at the head of the table, Monsieur Chef was at the  
other, while the boys were all on one side, and the girls were  
on the other. Minako was wedged between Haruka and Michiru, and  
Yaten couldn't help picturing them as her bodyguards.  
  
"So... sleeping arrangements. We could fit an extra  
futon into the Three Lights room if we tried, so three people   
could sleep in the same place."  
  
"What about ours?" asked Michiru.  
  
"Well... if two of you wouldn't mind sharing one futon,  
I'm sure it would work out."  
  
"Would you like to share a bed with me?" Haruka asked   
Minako with a smirk. She turned beat red.  
  
"Haruka!" chided Michiru.  
  
"W-why don't you and Michiru-san just take it. It   
wouldn't be anything new."   
  
Now it was Haruka's turn to blush.  
  
******  
  
Everybody said their goodnights and went to their own   
rooms, the night creeping into the house, and the crickets   
attempts at duplicating Michiru's songs filling their ears.   
  
Minako wore her orange pajamas that night, not wanting to  
think about what Haruka or Michiru would say if they saw the pair  
she had worn the night before.  
  
"Michiru-san? Haruka-san?" she asked, as the lights   
were out and they started to drift asleep.  
  
"Yes?" answered Michiru.  
  
"Did you guys really just come here to check up on me?  
Or is there something else going on?"  
  
"It's true there might be something strange about to   
happen, but how would you feel if Usagi left with a bunch of boys  
to take a few days off from life? Wouldn't you worry?"  
  
"Yeah... I guess you're right."  
  
"It's hard being away from the others, isn't it?"  
  
"Mm. It's been a while since I've been alone."  
  
There was a small silence as they lay there, and finally  
all three girls stood up and pushed the futons together to make  
one big bed, and climbed back in, the warmth of their affection  
making the strange night seem more bearable.  
  
"Um... guys?" she asked between the two women.  
  
"Yeah?" answered Haruka as she stared at the ceiling.  
  
"You won't... tell anybody about this will you? I   
wouldn't want the other girls to think I'm afraid of the dark."  
  
Michiru and Haruka looked over Minako at each other and  
smiled, thinking of Hotaru.   
  
"It'll be our little secret."  
  
******  
  
END OF PART 2  
  
****** 


	7. Day 2: Part 3A

Retreat into Hell  
Part 3A  
By Sarah-chan  
  
NOTE: I love Rei-chan. Have no doubt. But she just gets really  
really really neurotic sometimes in my fan fics. So all you fans  
of Rei out there... ^____^;;  
  
Rasputin is by far the best 70's disco song created. I don't   
remember the band name, but for the love of the world listen to it!  
  
And also, I know nothing of bungee jumping. Not that there's   
anything on that in this part... )  
  
******  
  
Her... so gentle, so caring, so quiet.  
Golden waves of nothing pass before  
my  
eyes.  
She's laughing on a cloud of silver moon  
dust, arms out with long strings of mercury  
slipping from her wrists  
A war god flies above, raising his sword in  
Greeting...  
She sighs so content so pure.  
So everything.  
I am safe.  
Until the wolves come.  
Vicious teeth of bloody bone  
rip apart her shell studded hair  
Lightning cracks from the heavens to the ocean  
stopping all time.  
The pain.  
The PAIN.  
Her screams as her leg is torn apart from her  
as she shrieks out my name, the pack of beasts  
dragging her into the abyss.  
Yaten. Save me. Yaten.  
Save me! SAVE ME!  
I stand there. I watch. I see. I do  
nothing.  
I...  
I...  
I laugh.  
  
******  
  
"NOO--!" Yaten's scream was stopped short after being   
kicked in the face. Cringing, he clutched his head, his eyes   
squeezed tightly shut from the pain and the terror, and he sat   
up, grinding his teeth to keep from making a sound.   
  
Yaten opened his eyes, giving in to the jump of his   
stomach as he met pure darkness. He sighed in relief as his   
pupils dilated, and the dark blue shadows and highlights of his  
world filled in the empty void.  
  
He looked down next to him, glaring at the foot that   
dared to attack him, and followed the connections of limbs to   
stare at the snoring face of Seiya. When the ringing in his ears  
stopped, he could hear the revoltingly loud snores.  
  
"Baka," he hissed. "Stay on your own futon."  
  
"Nggghhh..."  
  
Yaten harshly elbowed the sleeping nitwit in the stomach,  
a small cry following afterwards, and much to his surprise, a  
giggle.  
  
"Odango! I didn't know you liked to play rough."   
Yaten's eyes narrowed. Oh God, this was just what he needed. A  
lovesick woman in a man's body having a kinky dream and annoying   
enough to voice it. "Rowr."  
  
"I'm out of here," Yaten said into the room disgustedly, to  
no one in particular.  
  
Yaten walked over to the sliding doors, and slid them   
open, the rush of cool midnight air clinging to his skin. He  
sighed in delight, and walked over to the railing, sitting down  
and dangling his legs over the platform, looking out into the  
black forest and waiting for something to come swallow him up.  
  
*What do you see when you look through the camera?*   
Mariko had asked. It hadn't been said in a philosophical way,  
as if she already knew the answer and wanted him to figure it out  
for himself. It had been said in curiosity, and as he looked  
away from his shot in surprise, Yaten watched as she titled her  
head ever so slightly waiting for an answer.  
  
He had thought about giving her a glib answer, something  
to point out the stupidity of the question, but his heart hadn't  
been in it. It seemed ever since he got off the train, the urge  
to cut down everybody higher than him had waned. He only did it  
out of habit, so no one would suspect.   
  
He thought about just giving her the normal answer.  
Trees. Sky. Cloud. But when he opened his mouth, something  
much different came out. Something he hadn't suspected, and  
something Mariko had.  
  
A place safe from harm. Stopped in time. Untouchable.  
Unbreakable. Unlike fragile motion and ticking minutes. A  
picture was trapping this moment forever, and it would never be  
forgotten.  
  
She had smiled sadly, and nodded her head.  
  
*I like to run away too, when things get overpowering.  
I don't keep my eyes through a filter... I just come here and   
don't look back. Keeping my focus on nature.   
  
*That's why I love the bees so much. If you're scared,  
or angry they can feel it and will try to protect their queen, so   
you really have to be careful and quiet and calm.  
  
*I love it when it gets this still.*  
  
Yaten came back to the night, the blackness closing in  
on him before he blinked, and its clutches receded. What was he  
doing being so open here?  
  
He wanted to get caught. He wanted to pour his heart out  
to a sympathetic soul, he wanted to have that peace... that peace  
before his planet had been destroyed.  
  
And what scared him even more was the relief he had felt  
when he woke up to his scream. Because in his confused state,   
the first thought that had come to his mind was, *Minako will   
make it better. She'll make everything alright. And this time,   
this time I'll tell her EVERYTHING.*  
  
He looked to his right, and out of the corner of his eye  
saw the door that led to her room. What would he have done if   
the two ice queens weren't there guarding her? He shook his head  
and decided he didn't want to think about it.  
  
He didn't want to think about anything right now,   
especially relationships with these humans. Because he knew that  
once the princess was found, they would be gone and would never  
return. It hurt him more than he realized, breaking away from   
those he cared for. Hell, he had lost over a million loved ones  
in a minute. He didn't want to lose anymore.  
  
Which was why he couldn't make anymore friends, and yet  
he couldn't really stop himself with those five... they were   
magnets... and he was the metal.  
  
"You're out late."  
  
Yaten jumped, and looked up in horror to stare at a pair  
of silver eyes, and let out his breath when San moved out of the  
shadows.  
  
"So are you," he answered.  
  
"Mm."  
  
San leaned against the railing next to Yaten and looked  
out into the darkness. There was a long silence before Yaten  
got up and stood next to him.  
  
"Hey, um." San turned to look at him, showing no emotion  
on his face. "About yesterday... at the train station, when we  
first got here."  
  
"What about it?" San asked.  
  
"What was that thing you did to me?"  
  
San let out a sigh and turned back to the tamed   
wilderness. "I have an ability to know when a person lies or   
not. When I saw you, I had to make sure that what my instincts  
told me was true."  
  
"And what was that?"  
  
"You are more lie than truth." Yaten dropped his head   
into his hands and groaned. "I'm sorry... about crossing the  
barrier. I didn't expect to go as far as I did."  
  
"So you know everything?"  
  
"Hmm." San smiled. "I know enough. Your princess isn't  
here. I think you've figured that out, though."  
  
"Yeah," Yaten admitted. "But it's fun to watch Seiya and  
Taiki try to hint to Mariko."  
  
San chuckled and nodded his head. "I actually want to   
thank all of you."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"There's no use being angry anymore." He shook his head  
and closed his eyes. "It only makes things worse. I'm here to  
protect someone, like you, and in the process have closed every-  
body else out of my life. I can see how some of your lies are   
valid... but there are still others inside you that tick me off."  
  
Yaten's eyes widened.  
  
"You close yourself to too many people, just like I do,"  
San said bluntly. "You hurt them, and you miss out on some  
incredible opportunities."  
  
Yaten grunted and stayed silent, acknowledging in the   
still night air that he was right but wouldn't do anything about   
it. San turned back to look at Minako's room for a moment before  
pushing off from the railing.  
  
"My shift is over, and I'm tired. Do you think you'll be  
all right?"  
  
"Yeah." Yaten nodded his head.  
  
"Good night then."  
  
"Good night."  
  
Once San was gone, the night became suddenly eerie. Yaten  
yawned and shook the shiver from his spine before returning to  
his room. When he dropped his head onto his pillow, he closed his  
eyes, wishing the inevitable would not happen.  
  
But sadly, Kakyuu's terrified, blood splattered face was  
the last thing he remembered before drifting off to a hollow,  
dreamless sleep.  
  
******  
  
--Day 2--  
  
Minako sat at the table, basking in the glow of the warm  
sun shining through the open door, and only half listened to the  
other girls' conversation. Though she tried to look mature and   
elegant, the truth was she was dog tired after being woken up   
by a heart wrenching scream, and she hadn't gotten back to sleep  
until a few hours later.  
  
And somehow... she knew it had been Yaten.   
  
*Like in the dream,* she thought, and regretfully wished  
she had gotten the nerve up to go over and see him. She probably  
would have she realized, if she wasn't afraid of that terrible   
dream coming to life.  
  
That and she was wary of Haruka. She was really turning  
up the charm, that was for sure. Was she still jealous of that  
thing with Michiru and Seiya?  
  
"So what's it like having a boy for a lap dog?"  
  
"Haruka! Don't embarrass her so early in the morning."  
  
Mariko blushed as she hid behind her bite of rice, trying  
to ignore the charmingly curious face of the sandy blonde in front  
of her.  
  
"Why not? He's finally out of the room, isn't he?"  
  
"Haruka," Michiru hissed as she watched Mariko turn a   
beat red and sink under the table. "What are you trying to do?"  
  
Haruka leaned down and brushed a stray hair from   
Michiru's face before whispering in her ear, "There's something  
odd about those two..."  
  
"Mm." Michiru refrained from commenting by sipping her  
tea, and brushed some dust off of Haruka's shirt before   
whispering back, "Minako-chan adores them, so keep quiet."  
  
The couple turned their heads to watch Minako as she   
began to nod off and her head slipped from it's perch on her hand  
and came crashing onto the table.  
  
"I-itai." Minako clutched her bruised face and groaned.  
"Why does it always have to be me?"  
  
"Did you not get enough sleep last night?" asked Mariko.  
  
Minako shook her head in affirmation, pulling her hair   
back from her face and clumsily pinning it up, only to have small  
streams of hair fall in oddly alluring places.  
  
Mariko snapped her fingers as she suddenly got an idea.  
"We should go to the waterfall today! That would wake you up."  
  
"A waterfall?" That perked up Michiru's attention.  
  
"It's beautiful," said Mariko. "The waterfall drops into  
this gorgeous natural swimming pool. The water's great."  
  
"Ah..." Everybody turned to see Furui as he padded into   
the room. "It's a good thing I had planned for you girls to go   
there anyway. Everything's already set up."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Set up?"  
  
"Today is the day of easing the mind from all regrets and  
doubts!" stated Furui.  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!"  
  
"OH MY *GOD*!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
"COOOOOOOOOLD!!!!!!"  
  
The three boys came rushing into the kitchen, sopping wet,  
and sat down at their side of the table. Haruka and Michiru eyed   
them warily at their quite calm nature, and all three shouted in   
joy when their breakfast was placed before them.  
  
"We'll be splitting off into two groups. Mariko will take   
the girls to the waterfall, while we'll be going up into the   
mountains."  
  
"The mountains?" asked Seiya, and Yaten watched in horror  
as San carried in the ropes, harnesses, and helmets.  
  
"I am NOT climbing up a mountain," said Yaten.  
  
"Who said anything about climbing a mountain? We're   
taking the Jeep." The Three Lights sighed in relief. "Now  
coming back down is a different story."  
  
"Eh?"  
  
"Nothing, nothing. All right! Let's go!"  
  
And much to Haruka's pleasure, the annoying whines of  
celebrities left her ears.  
  
"Did you bring your swimming suit?" asked Mariko to   
Minako. Minako blushed and nodded her head.  
  
"Now that I think about it, though," she stammered,   
stealing glances at Haruka. "I must have brought the one that  
doesn't fit me anymore. Silly me!"  
  
"Is that the string bikini?" asked Haruka as she sipped  
her tea. "I think Rei-chan said it was a thong."  
  
Minako turned a shade of evil red. *Note to self: Kill  
the psychic jealous passive aggressive priestess who somehow got  
copies of my keys.*  
  
Minako pouted innocently and blushed. "I didn't know  
that when I bought it!"  
  
"Well, I'm sure it'll work fine," said Michiru. "It's  
only us girls, anyway."  
  
Minako paled as Haruka winked at her. "I can't believe  
you're saying that, Michiru-san."  
  
"What?" she asked and blinked.  
  
Mariko blushed and Minako only sighed.  
  
******  
  
"Rei-chan..." Usagi asked nervously as she stood beside  
the intent girl and looked over her shoulder, awaiting their  
impending doom. "I don't think this is such a good idea."  
  
"Nobody's asking you, Usagi-chan."  
  
"B-but... what if he finds out?!"  
  
"He's in America, you dolt! It's not like he's just  
going to waltz in here on a whim to check on his car."  
  
"I'm not too sure about this myself, Rei-chan," Makoto  
said, leaning against the cement column near the sports car's   
parking place. "You know how Mamoru-san gets if you accidentally  
scratch the metal on the seat buckle."  
  
"We're not even old enough to get a license!" mewled  
Ami as she clutched her duffle bag. "We'd be stealing AND  
illegally driving."  
  
"Look, if you guys don't want to come, that's fine with   
me, but I, Hino Rei, will once and for all reveal Minako-chan's  
diabolical plan to keep Three Lights all to herself."  
  
"Mina-P would never do that! She always shares!"  
  
"What are YOU planning, anyway?" asked Makoto. Rei   
ignored her as she huggled the black car and stroked it lovingly.  
  
"Oh, you beautiful thing, you," she murmured into its   
ear. "I remember you quite well, old friend. Nights into town,  
you were a little small, but that didn't hinder anything..."  
  
Usagi pressed her cheek to hers and narrowed her eyes  
slightly. "Rei-chan... what are you saying?"  
  
"Eh?" Rei immediately sprang from her embrace.   
"Nothing! Nothing!"  
  
"Ne, I think it's something." Usagi nodded her head and  
scowled in concentration. Makoto and Ami looked at each other and   
blanched. "When you and Mamo-chan were going out... you guys never  
did anything did you?"  
  
"Eh?!" shrieked Rei, and squeezed Mamoru's sports car  
nearly into oblivion. "Are you kidding me?! That's just  
disgusting, Usagi-chan. Really. He's how old?!"  
  
"Um... let's not get into this right now, you guys,"   
Makoto started, but Usagi jumped at Rei's insult.  
  
"Are you calling my boyfriend old?"  
  
"No! Well, yes! I mean... Damnit, I want his car!"  
  
"You... you gold digger!" gasped Usagi.  
  
"Look, Mako-chan, do you still know how to hot wire a   
car?" Rei asked ignoring Usagi's retort. The brunette sighed and  
nodded her head.  
  
"This is an incredibly bad idea," gasped Ami. "If   
Luna-san or Artemis-san were here..."  
  
"But they're not," said Rei. "Thank God for Motoki-kun."  
  
"Oh, Mamo-chan... if only you were here," sighed Usagi.  
"What am I going to do?"  
  
"We're going to go up to that retreat and save Yaten from  
the evil clutches of Minako!"  
  
"But we're not supposed to leave the city!"  
  
"Seriously, guys," Rei said. "When was the last time the   
city was attacked when we were on vacation?"  
  
There was silence.  
  
"See? Wherever we go, the enemy goes. We'd be doing Tokyo  
a service, wouldn't we, by leaving?"  
  
"This has to be the most screwed up excuse for desertion   
I've ever heard," muttered Makoto. But she zoomed over next to Rei  
at the car, and fondled the door handle. "But I DO love this car."  
  
"Mako-chan!" cried Usagi and Ami.   
  
"Mamoru-san will get over it," she said calmly and took  
the little lock pick set Rei handed her and began to work.  
  
"Gotcha!" cried Makoto with satisfaction and opened the   
door. She began to climb in when she felt a hand fall on her   
shoulder. "Eh? What is it, Rei-chan?"  
  
"What do you think you're doing?" Rei said, glaring.  
  
"Getting in the car," Makoto stated.  
  
"I'M driving. It was my plan."  
  
"You don't know HOW to drive."  
  
"I'm a fast learner."  
  
"Ohoho!" There was silence. "I don't think so."  
  
"Are you calling me stupid?"  
  
"No! I'm calling you incompetent!"  
  
"How DARE you!"  
  
Usagi paled while Ami sighed and climbed into the front  
seat while the other two girls bickered. Everyone stopped as they  
watched Ami place her hands delicately on the steering wheel.  
  
"If we ARE going to take Mamoru-san's car, the least we can  
do is drive it safely. I don't trust either of you in keeping this  
gorgeous baby-- I mean... this vintage 1987-- I mean this VEHICLE   
intact. I'LL drive."  
  
"A-Ami-chan?!" they gasped. Blushing she pulled out a   
small device, about the thickness and length of a car key and put  
it into the ignition. The end of the device began to glow red, and  
a beeping could be heard, until finally a small "ding" dinged, and  
Ami pulled the device out.  
  
"Dude!" gasped Makoto as she stared at the little cut out  
outline in the form of the key on the device. Ami gently snapped   
off the excess metal and put it in the ignition again, this time  
turning the car on. "So much cleaner than pulling out the wires!  
I have to get one of those!"  
  
"No!" cried Ami. "I invented it only if somebody lost   
their keys and needed a replacement."  
  
"That's amazing, Ami-chan!" cried Usagi.  
  
Rei and Makoto only rolled their eyes. "Riiiight. Like   
anybody would ever use that thing honestly."  
  
Ami glared and closed the door shut, and rolled down the  
window. "You don't have to come if you don't want to. Let's go,  
Usagi-chan. We need to make sure Haruka-san and Michiru-san got   
there safely."  
  
Usagi squealed and hopped into the passengers seat, leaving  
Rei and Makoto still outside. "Oh no," Rei murmured. "I forgot it  
was only a two person car."  
  
"Duh, Rei-chan! What were you thinking anyway?!"  
  
"Well you could have reminded me, Mako-chan!"  
  
"You were too busy seducing the thing!"  
  
"Why didn't we just take the train, anyways?!"  
  
"That would be too easy!"  
  
"Oh, yeah..." Rei turned back to Ami and sighed. "Is there  
any way we can all fit into this thing? Do you have another   
invention?"  
  
"No, but you guys are all thin enough I think we can   
squeeze together. Especially if Usagi sits on Mako-chan's lap."  
  
"W-what?!"  
  
"B-but it's a stick shift!"  
  
"I'll be careful!"  
  
This was going to be a very very very long car trip.  
  
******  
  
Meanwhile, Setsuna packed her bags as Hotaru swung her   
legs absently, sitting on the bed and watching her mother as she  
prepared for their trip.  
  
"Why are we leaving again?" she asked.  
  
"We're going on a... vacation of sorts."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because Usagi and the others will need us more than they  
think. It will be a hard battle, but a good change."  
  
"Change?"  
  
"Something just as perilous as Galaxia..."  
  
******  
  
Haruka stared at her bare arms as the deepest green she  
had ever seen danced over her skin. The light filtered through the  
tree leaves, creating an unimaginable tint to this walk. And for  
the first time in a long while, hearing only the birds, Haruka felt  
safe. Until Usagi's counterpart glomped onto her.  
  
"Please?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Pleeeease?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaasssssseeeee?"  
  
"Haruka," Michiru warned. The sandy blonde sighed and then  
nodded to Minako, who squealed and leaped onto Haruka's back.  
  
"I thought you said you were tired," Haruka huffed as they  
walked up the trail.  
  
"Affirmations give that little boost of energy."  
  
"Let's not say 'yes' too many times today."  
  
"Pffft. Mariko-chan?"  
  
"Yes, Minako-chan?"  
  
"How much longer until we get there?"  
  
"Hmm." Mariko stopped walking, waiting for the others to  
halt as well. When everything was completely still, she closed her  
eyes and relaxed her features.  
  
The three other girls stared as Mariko's ears seemed to  
rotate, as she listened. Haruka and Michiru looked at each other  
while Minako just watched the lone girl intently.  
  
"I... think I hear..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"70's disco?"  
  
******  
  
"RA-RA-RASPUTIN, RUSSIA'S GREATEST LOVE MACHINE!"  
  
Furui and Seiya grooved to the old man's greatest hits   
album in the front of the Jeep, while San, Yaten, and Taiki groaned  
and begged the two to stop.  
  
"He'll be listening to this when we jump, I just know it,"  
muttered San. Yaten, who was holding all the equipment in his lap  
and nearly falling into San's had the misfortune of hearing him   
loud and clear.  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"N-nothing!"  
  
******  
  
"Oh my God," gasped Minako as the roar of the waterfall   
rushed into their ears. "It's like paradise!"  
  
The other girls were speechless as they looked up, watching  
the fall of the clear water, the droplets separating as they came   
crashing to their doom in a small but very deep pool of water.  
  
Michiru stared into the depths of that water, wondering  
if there was an end... and if that end held any secrets she   
desperately needed.  
  
Haruka on the other hand was staring intensely at the top  
of the waterfall, where a yellow something perched enticingly at  
the top. A prize.  
  
Yes? She looked over to Mariko who nodded her head in  
affirmation, and Haruka began to the climb up the rocks to the top  
of the waterfall.  
  
Michiru pulled off her shirt and shorts, leaving her always  
impeccable taste in clothing to show in her new swim suit and dove  
into the water as Minako just stood on the grass and watched them   
hesitantly. Obviously they knew what they were doing, and why they  
were doing it... but...  
  
What about her? Didn't she come here to do these things?  
She looked at Mariko who smiled sadly at her and shook her head.  
  
"Not yet," was all she said, and before Minako opened her  
mouth to start pleading, she heard a scream.  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"  
  
Haruka halted in her climbing as the two girls looked up   
at the massive cliff in the distance. And as Michiru swam to the  
bottom of the pool, she swore she felt a vibration in the water.  
  
******  
  
"I'M NOT DOING IT!"  
  
"It's the only way to get down!"  
  
"NO."  
  
"Come on Yaten, don't be such a sissy."  
  
"I'm not doing it. Forget it. I refuse. I could die!"  
  
"The chances are quite unlikely," Furui said helpfully.   
Yaten only held onto the Jeep, kicking at Seiya who held up the  
harness and tried to get the silver haired Light into it.  
  
"Do you know how long I've been dying to bungee jump?"  
  
"You've been dying to die, that's what."  
  
"You know," Seiya said. "You're really ticking me off.  
Look! Even Taiki's agreeing to do it!"  
  
They turned to stare at Taiki as San checked the harness  
and fittings, making sure everything was secure.  
  
"Because he's suicidal!" He looked over to Furui. "And  
YOU! You said we would be easing our minds."  
  
"You WILL if you jump."  
  
"Um, Furui-sama," murmured San. "That didn't come out too   
well."  
  
Furui thought about that for a moment before flushing.  
"That's not what I meant."  
  
"Well, that's what'll happen."  
  
Seiya sighed and walked away, leaving Yaten to fume alone.  
  
"He's not going to do it," he said to the others.  
  
"This DOES create a complication. By the time we reached  
the bottom, we would be able to meet the girls and eat."  
  
Seiya's face suddenly turned dark, and touched San's arm.  
The blue haired boy stood silent for a moment before nodding his  
head, and all the while Yaten had let down his guard, assuming he  
had won this battle and began to climb into the car.  
  
Unfortunately, he felt hands grab a hold of his ankles and  
haul him out of the Jeep. Yaten screamed and tried to fend Seiya   
off but realized when one had two really strong athletic men  
pinning one down, and one happened to hate exercise, one was at  
a disadvantage.  
  
But he wouldn't let his imminent death come with out a   
fight.  
  
******  
  
"Oh my God. Is that... is that Yaten?" They were barely  
larger than specks, but anybody could see silver hair when they   
wanted to.  
  
"They're about a ten minutes walk away from here," said   
Mariko. "You want to go meet them? The trail's just straight   
ahead. Once they were at the bottom of the cliff, they had   
intended to come here."  
  
"Just that way?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"Great. See you soon!"  
  
"Kay!"  
  
Minako headed down the trail at a jumpy speed, almost  
skipping with the thought of having something more to do than just  
watch as other people fulfilled their plans.  
  
She watched the cliff as she walked down the path, and  
her skip turned to a sprint when she watched the silver head drop.  
  
******  
  
Fear falling down down down what am I doing here why am I  
doing this what's going on why did I let them drop me what's  
going to happen to me am I going to die before I find her will I  
die beautiful will I die before I see their faces again what   
about my photographs I haven't finished my last roll of film I   
don't want anybody to develop them only me they're private   
they're secret if they find out that I'm terrified but I'm going  
to die what does it matter they'll all know now there's nothing  
to hide I want to get rid of the pain but I don't want to die I  
want to tell them I'm sorry I just want to see her face one last  
time I need to make sure she's safe what about them I'm going  
to live falling alive I will live but I'm scared is that okay to  
be scared is it all right will they think less of me will they   
make fun of me how can I let them know I love them I never told  
them I loved them I never told myself that I loved ME.  
  
Up again I feel so free I love it when it gets this still  
why am I screaming I feel so free I've never felt this way before  
is this what everybody felt before they died back home or was it   
only terror olives I smell olives are you there princess?  
  
Down again stopped... I'm back. I'm back.  
  
"I AM NEVER DOING THAT AGAIN!" Yaten shrieked   
hysterically. "NEVER DO THAT AGAIN! I HATE YOU I HATE YOU!"  
  
And with that, he burst into tears, dangling, staring at  
the ground below through his tears, sobbing in relief. There was  
something more to his life, something he had just figured out,   
something that made it all worth while now. And he knew what it  
was finally, this thing he had been searching for.  
  
Choice.  
  
******  
  
Down, it's so dark. I can't look back up but I can see   
the light dancing on my skin as I move forward. I have to move  
forward, I have to finish this, to see what's down there. It's  
singing to me, singing into my soul, and if I don't find out what  
it is, I'll regret it for the rest of my life.  
  
My lungs are burning, burning. This is heaven.  
  
*  
  
Up, it's so light. I can't look down but I can feel the  
water clinging to my legs as I keep on climbing. I have to keep   
on going, I have to continue this, to see what's up there. It's   
crying to me, crying to my soul, and if I don't find out what it   
is, I'll regret it for the rest of my life.  
  
I hate going this slow. This is hell.  
  
*  
  
So dark, I can't believe it... I can't even see anymore.  
What am I doing, what am I thinking? Am I crazy? Just keep on  
going down, there's something down there. I just need to trust.  
That's all I need to do.  
  
My fingers scrape against the ground... don't look up,   
don't look up, you'll lose your direction. You'll lose   
everything, so just don't look up.  
  
*  
  
Don't look down. Don't think about how fast you'd go if   
you just jumped into the water. Just keep on moving... up. That's  
where this thing is. Crawling at a snail's pace, I'll get there.  
Damnit.  
  
*  
  
There's nothing here. I have to go back up. Can't go too  
fast, you have to conserve this oxygen in your body, even though  
you're begging, begging to breath, you can't panic... I can't   
panic. I can't panic I can't panic I can't panic.  
  
*  
  
I'm almost there.  
  
*  
  
Just let the water take me up.  
  
*  
  
I have no choice.  
  
*  
  
Just close my eyes and stay calm.  
  
*  
  
I just have to let it take me wherever I'm going.  
  
*  
  
I can feel the light against my eyelids... I'm so close...  
  
*  
  
I just have to pull myself up. That's all I have to do. 


End file.
